


Rebirth of Destruction

by Adli (ti_ana)



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-24 04:10:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 105,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2567741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ti_ana/pseuds/Adli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing eventful has happened in the four years after the defeat of Kid Buu... until two of their fiercest enemies return with vengeance in mind. But what do they want with the Dragonballs and with Bulma? Featuring all characters and canon pairings. I'm partial to the B/V paring, there will be a bit of that featured as well, but it's not strictly romance. Rated T for language and violence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Nope, sorry to disappoint, but we didn't create DBZ. It all belongs to the wonderful mind of Akira Toriyama and anyone who has rights to it. We're just having fun with the characters and we promise to give them back intactâ€¦ for the most part. :-)
> 
> Author's Notes: This epic story is a collaborative work between myself (Adli) and my friend (Tamith), so credit goes where credit is due. There will be a total of 9 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue. FYI, at the time we began writing this story (in 2001), we were under the impression that Bra was supposed to be older than Pan. It seems this is an incorrect assumption, but it's already written, so go with it regardless. Enjoy!
> 
> Author's Notes 2: SORRY! I accidentally deleted the story. If you had a bookmark, please make it again. Yikes.

The freezing breeze sent a chill down his bare back. Stumbling as he walked, he dragged his feet up yet another step of the pyramid-like base they were making him climb. Only will power kept him from giving in to the powerful drug they had used to subdue him, only his mental strength kept him aware of the insane atrocity they were going to make him do. His ceremonial necklace felt heavy and rough as the exquisite beads and planks of precious metals hit his chest with a consistent thump. He tripped and fell hitting his face hard against the ivory stairs and tasted the bitter taste of blood in his mouth. A tug to the chains that bound his hands together on his back and a kick in his stomach got him to his feet again.

"I said no violence!" a strong masculine voice said close by. "We need his body to have all its strength for the ritual. It could be disastrous otherwise!"

He tried hard to focus on the familiar voice but failed, noting as his jailer was roughly shoved aside and replaced by what looked like an azure-skinned angel. He tried to catch in more, but any other effort would make him forget that which was too important. Concentrating on that thought, he hung on to it with all his might.

For centuries his people had been known throughout the universe as those who could touch the afterlife. Their history spoke of numerous demons their priests had summoned and their consequences. A powerful race, the art of what some called magic had always come naturally to them. Many of the strongest wizards known were theirs, as were the greatest wonders. Yet their gift had also been their curse. The power to create gates between the living and the dead was a great responsibility, and one that had not been taken lightly for over three millennia. As a result, much of the knowledge had been lost to the great corrosive that was time, and now this band of villains were forcing him to once more disturb the dead for the sake of the living. But the thought that a long forgotten science was being called forth wasn't his problem. What bothered him were the dark intentions behind it.

He had refused. A thousand times he had said no, and a thousand times they had insisted. Finally he had been betrayed to them by his own blood and power. Bitter tears stung his eyes at the thought. He bit his tongue and cursed the day he had been born with such awesome strength. But like everything, he too had an antithesis. He swallowed down the knot in his throat.

His was his own blood and kin.

He tripped again, but this time his new captor held him up. A strong yet soft pair of hands raised him to his feet and helped him climb up the remaining stretch of stairs.

His head swam as the drug claimed even more of him to numbness. He was led to a circular altar and set down in one of the two circles drawn in ebony stones in its middle. He felt his hands being untied, but he was no longer strong enough to struggle, let alone fight his way out of the place. The strong pair of hands still held him and he could hear muffled voices somewhere in the background. Trying to clear his mind, but failing miserably, he shook his head. A light-hearted chuckle next to his ear made him cringe. Now a singsong voice was whispering to him like a demon in his head.

"Give in..."

No.

"It's for the best. Peace will return this way."

Through blood-loss and tyranny!

"The civil war will be over! Our lord returns..."

...to his reign of terror

"No more eternal night..."

...now the fiends shall stalk during the day…

He staggered and fell backwards into someone's arms. His vision blurred and his mind drifted from him. He fought in vain to regain control.

"If you do not do this, our lord will return..."

No!

He had to get this specter away. He gathered all the power he could muster and focused it on his unknown assailant. Before he could release it, he felt it leave him and gather in someone else. A startled scream emerged from his lips as he felt the other familiar presence take his power and focus it for a new purpose...

"Do it now!" someone said behind him and he felt a huge surge of power shoot from him in two directions, first to the other, then somewhere beyond. Overwhelmed by the feeling, he gave in to the darkness that had been claiming him for a time.

The dark mid-winter sky shone brightly with unearthly light as the twin mages focused their power on the portal. The earth around them trembled; even the pyramid in which they stood shook under all the pressure above it. Most of the gathered crowd was now on their knees in fear or respect of the feeling of premonition that had taken over them. Waving her long, velvety braid to her back, she made her way to the side of the standing mage. The look of stress in his face was immense as he fought back all the souls seeking to escape from their prison in Hell and made his choice of two. A bright flash of light that blinded her announced the success of this mission and the portal solidified making the Heavens above them look like a violent cyclone of darkness and light. The feeling of the familiar ki made her fall to her knees.

Soon afterwards, another one followed. She looked up and saw a figure stepping out from the chaos of light. Her heart skipped a beat as the feeling of excitement swelled inside her. The magician beside her shut the portal abruptly then fell next to her in a mixture of exhaustion and reverence. She lowered her eyes and shared a secret smile with the slightly boyish face beside her. At the approach of the summoned, she quickly lowered her face again. An ivory hand raised her head making her look up.

"You have done well," he told her. "You may rise."

She quickly obeyed and saw how her master called the mage beside her to his feet. They both bowed again to the two porcelain-looking figures before them.

"My lords," she said. "A lot has happened since you were both gone."

"We know," the other said. "You must tell us."

"And," the first added. "Tell me what has become of our friends on Earth in our time of absence."

She sneered. "What we know may be to your liking, lord."

A smirk broke across the blood red lips of her master. "Do tell."


	2. Returning Once Again

"What do you think about this?"

"It's a toaster oven."

"Your powers of observation astound me, Vegeta."

"Why would you offer them a toaster oven as a wedding gift?"

Bulma sighed in exasperation. Gohan and Videl's wedding was several days away and they had yet to buy their wedding gift. The couple had announced their engagement several months before. Not that it had come as a surprise. In fact, when a nervous Gohan had stood in front of his family and friends, Videl in tow, and made the announcement, everyone had simply smiled in congratulations and turned back to their individual conversations.

~oOo~

"Um, guys?" Gohan called out. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, you're getting married," Krillin said with a shrug, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "About time, if you ask me…"

"No one did," Vegeta muttered from his place leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed.

"Gee," Gohan said, scratching the back of his head, much like his father. "I had no idea I was so predictable."

"Oh, you're not predictable, Gohan," Goku spoke up. "You've been dating for a while, so everyone just expected it." He stood up and made his way toward his son. With a proud grin, Goku enveloped him in a hug and clapped his back several times. He then turned to Videl and slightly bent his torso forward in a traditional Japanese salute. "I'm proud of you both."

Gohan blushed at his father's words and looked down.

"Yeah, we were starting to make bets on when you two would finally tie the knot!" Krillin exclaimed with a laugh.

"Which reminds me, Krillin," Yamcha added. "You owe me twenty bucks!"

Chichi picked that moment to step out of Kame house with a tray of goodies. "Here you go, everyone," she said happily. Setting the tray down on a table, she moved to sit with Bulma.

"Hey, Chichi, did you hear Gohan's 'big announcement'?" Krillin asked.

Chichi shook her head. "No, what big announcement?"

"Gohan and Videl are finally getting married!"

"Oh, my baby!" Chichi cried. She jumped up from for her seat and hugged Gohan, planting kises on his cheek excitedly. "I can't believe my baby's finally getting married!"

Gohan blushed deeply in embarrassment. "Um, mom, c'mon…"

~oOo~

"It's a practical gift, Vegeta," Bulma explained with exaggerated slowness. "You're supposed to give the couple something they'll be giving a lot of use to for years to come. Anyway, it's on their registry."

Vegeta smirked. "I can think of other, much more interesting things that they can give a lot of use to for years to come."

"I do not want to know, Gutter-brain," Bulma replied with a roll of her eyes.

She placed the toaster oven back on the shelf and grimaced. "Well, we've just about searched the entire mall," she continued. "Is there nothing that suits your 'Royal Standards', oh Mighty Prince?"

Not appreciating her sarcasm, Vegeta simply glowered at her. "Buy whatever the hell you want, I don't care. It's your money."

"Don't you dare take an attitude with me, mister!" Bulma cried.

Vegeta grimaced and crossed his arms over his chest. Here we go again.

"Gohan and Videl are our friends," she told him matter-of-factly. "And you are going to shop with me and you're going to help me pick out their wedding present, and you are going to enjoy it, whether you like it or not! And furthermore—" Her voice was raising both in pitch and in volume as she went on, so Vegeta released a sound in exasperation and stepped forward to cover her mouth with his hand. People around them were slowing down to stare at them curiously.

"Quit your jabbering, woman, you're drawing attention to yourself," Vegeta hissed. "And your agitation can't be any good for the child you're carrying."

Bulma glared at him as she removed his hand from her mouth. "Oh, what would you know?" She placed a protective hand over her seven-month swollen belly. "It's not like you were around the first time."

It was Vegeta's turn to roll his eyes. Bulma's hormones had been out of control since she had gotten pregnant. To say that he and Trunks had been victims of all-out crazy mood swings would have been the understatement of the year. While Trunks held a healthy fear of his sometimes crazy hormone-driven mother, Vegeta had no such patience.

"Now is not the time to be bringing up such things," he retorted. "I am not going to crawl on the ground and beg for your forgiveness, so deal with it. I'm here now, aren't I?"

And for the life of him, Vegeta still couldn't figure out why that was. How he had gone from being an incredibly strong and sadistic bastard who worked in Freeza's army and destroyed entire planets just for the mere challenge and thrill of it, from being the mighty prince of the Saiyans, to being a family man, protector of Earth, living with his loud-mouthed wife and a purple-hair hybrid son, was certainly beyond him.

He had originally come to Earth to find Goku and the Dragonballs. It had seemed like a simple enough plan in his head. Get to Earth, get the Dragonballs, make his wish, and destroy the planet. Simple.

Right?

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, depending on whose point of view you looked at it from, a long battle had eventually resulted in unspeakable humiliation: his life had been spared by an arch nemesis and his hybrid brat. He had crawled away, battered and bewildered from his defeat, yet determined to regain his footing. As soon as he had healed, he had been on his way to Namek, deducing that there must have been another set of Dragonballs that he could use to gain his ultimate goal—immortality to defeat Freeza and take his rightful place as ruler of the universe.

One can only imagine his surprise when he had gotten to Namek, only to find that said arch nemesis and followers had beaten him to it. To top it off, Freeza had also discovered the legend of the Dragonballs and had come to gain his own immortality. He had been bluntly forced into an alliance with his enemies—enemies who had, against his will, eventually become his friends—in order to defeat an even more powerful, common enemy.

What had happened next was unforgettable. Loaded up with an immeasurable amount of cockiness, Vegeta had taken it upon himself to kill Freeza. The relatively short fight had ended in the death of Vegeta. His then-temporary allies had watched the entire thing, and in one last desperate attempt at ridding the universe of the evil Freeza, Vegeta had actually begged Goku to finish Freeza off as revenge for them and their dead world.

Next thing he knew, he had awoken buried under a pile of dirt. After realizing that he wasn't in Hell, he had flown to the ongoing battle between a newly Super Saiyan Goku and an incredibly pissed off Freeza. He had been close enough to spit on the bastard, but had instead been transported to Earth, along with all of the Namekians and Earthlings that had been on Namek. The blue-haired woman, Bulma, had invited him to stay at her home while he gathered his bearings. And that was where he had ended up staying for the last fifteen years or so, battling a seemingly endless amount of foes and saving the world from utter destruction.

Against his better judgment, he had starteda relationship with the woman and even had a child with her, with another on the way. Worse yet, he had become attached to them and couldn't even bring himself to leave for an extended period of time. These alien feelings he had for his family were beyond his comprehension and he found that could do nothing less than surrender to them. Earth had somehow become his home and for some reason, he didn't mind it one bit.

Pathetic, he thought with disgust. That's what I've become. I've lowered myself to live the life of a pathetic earthling and shop for stupid wedding presents for Kakarot's idiot son and his idiot wife. My father must be rolling in his grave.

"I know, I'm sorry, Vegeta," Bulma told him. She smiled an assurance. "You've changed a lot since then and you know that I appreciate everything you've been doing for me and for Trunks lately." She bit her bottom lip. "I think it's just the hormones acting up. Jeez, I'm a mess."

Just as he was about to reply, Bulma's face lit up with excitement and she pointed at something behind him. "Oh, Vegeta, look!" she cried.

Vegeta furrowed his brow and followed her gaze—only to twist his face in horror as he realized what had gotten her so excited.

It was a baby store.

In an instant, Bulma had suddenly acquired some sort of hormonal-driven superspeed that even he seemed to be incapable of, as she breezed past him, out of the store, across the corridor, and into the next store.

"Bulma!" he called after her. "Hey! Bulma!" His face showed only pure irritation as he trudged over to the store she had gone into. "Bulma," he called again as he found her going through the racks of baby clothing.

"Oh, isn't this the most adorable thing?!" Bulma exclaimed, bringing out a tiny pink dress lined with white lace.

"It's too small on you," Vegeta muttered.

"Oh, for the baby, silly!" she replied. "And it's a '3-6 months'! Perfect." Vegeta scowled as she draped the little dress over his arm.

"We didn't come here to shop for baby clothing, Bulma," Vegeta said, his voice laced with barely controlled annoyance. Still, he didn't make a move to remove the dress from his arm.

"Oh, I just can't resist, Vegeta," she answered without even glancing at him. "What do you think about this?" She held up a light yellow baby pantsuit. Without waiting for his answer, she tossed it on his arm over the pink dress.

"You've already bought enough as it is," he told her. "She'll grow out of these before she gets a chance to wear them all."

"I'll make sure she wears them all," said Bulma absently, looking through another rack.

"May I help you with anything?" a kind-looking elder saleslady said from beside Vegeta.

"No," Vegeta said firmly, but was overridden by Bulma's, "Definitely! I'm looking for all types of clothing for a newborn baby girl…"

Vegeta groaned as he fought the urge to simply grab Bulma and fly her out of here before blasting the store into oblivion.

~oOo~

At long last, he was home.

The throne room of his palace had a lovely view of his home planet. He looked down at the frozen landscape, contemplating the unique beauty of a world bathed in ice. Whole mountain ranges dressed in thick layers of snow, and deep oceans shielded by blue ice. They were a proud race having endured the hardships of the land now easily bent to their will. Few people understood this. Few took the time to look out the window and see the beauty of their world. No matter what his purpose, he always did. The coming of familiar ki's interrupted his thoughts.

"Koola, what have you been up to? You've been extremely busy since we got back."

Freeza turned his porcelain face sideways to greet his brother. Koola stood next to him glancing at the sights below. He waited for a few seconds before answering.

"I was reviewing the state of our empire," he said. "Many things have changed in the time of our absence. Half of it is gone and of the remaining half, many no longer answer to our people as lords."

Freeza chuckled. "Expected. I knew many of those fools only swore allegiance to me for interests… It is nice to know who they are though. That should give us something to work with, should it not, Brother?"

Koola nodded. "Dalia and Coran are sending word to the worlds that still answer to us and an invitation to those that do not. Call it a warning if you might."

The corners of Freeza's dark lips curled and his tail swayed in anticipation. "Oh my, this should be interesting."

"My lords, pardon my intrusion."

Both brothers turned to face the newcomer. It was Dalia. She was strange for a warrior. Dressed in the finest silks of the galaxy, her hair and face decorated and styled to the latest and most beautiful fashions, she looked more like a geisha than a trained assassin did. Freeza nodded in approval. She had always been like this.

~oOo~

"So, you wish to assemble an elite army, do you my sons?" King Kold stood in the throne room of his ship looking at the space they flew by. His face was emotionless, but both of them could sense the interest of his father in his tone of voice.

"Yes, Papa," Koola said. "We wish to gather the strongest fighters of our empire and choose from them those worthy to serve us. These elite fighters could win us worlds and kingdoms."

King Kold chuckled. "But Koola, can you not do that yourself? Have I not trained you and your brother to be the mightiest warriors of the universe? Are we not by far the strongest family ever to be born? Why would you want to gather little nobodies from back-washed worlds?"

"To remind their rulers who their lord is," Freeza spoke up. "By giving us their strongest fighters, they are giving up possibly the strongest weapon their planets have. Besides, it will be fun to train them. It would give us something to entertain us for a time."

"But you'll kill them if you fight full power with them."

"We will not. Freeza wants an army to plow the worlds before him, I do not think it is such a bad idea. They can go places when we are occupied else where."

"But you already have an army," King Kold countered.

"Not like this," Freeza said. "I am talking about a hand full of warriors that can single-handedly destroy a planet and leave it in rubble. We will need such fighters if we want the king of Vegeta-sei to side with us, an army whose single force is feared throughout the universe."

King Kold turned his tall frame around and regarded his sons with interest. "Have your wish," he said to them. He then turned to the few guards and assistants standing by the door. "Send word to the ruler of every planet. Inform them that Lord Freeza is asking for their strongest warriors. Those chosen will have the honor of belonging to his elite army. Any world that does not cooperate, will answer to him."

He finished his words in a matter of threat. Freeza smiled at the reckless running around of the guards quickly obeying his father's orders in fear of him keeping that promise on them.

"Oh Papa, you have such sense of humor," he said when they were gone.

King Kold nodded. "Have your fun. The two of you are the strongest of the universe. It is beyond me the reason why you want an army of weaklings, but have your way. Koola, I trust you too will be in the selection of the warriors?"

"Yes. I too will choose some to serve me as Freeza will choose his."

"Then I will trust your decision."

It had only taken a few days for every single planet to send their candidates. Koola and Freeza were now seated in the far corner of a great stadium watching each of the warriors being presented. Freeza looked at his brother and smiled at his discomfort. Unlike himself, Koola preferred to remain anonymous to the rest of the empire. Though his strength was also great, he preferred to administrate rather than go and conquer the worlds.

"Do not worry, Brother," Freeza told him. "Those not chosen will not leave this room alive."

Koola grinned, "That wasn't what worried me, but that these warriors look mighty weak."

"It will be interesting to see them fight," Freeza said looking at the rather young warrior that was being presented now.

"Zarbon, duke of Akeela of the world of Xo'na," the announcer said. This was an interesting fighter. He had been the first not to break eye contact with them when bowing.

"My lords," he said kneeling before them. Both of them nodded at the greeting and gestured for the next one. The value of this daring one would be confirmed soon.

"Kali, of the world of Draconic."

This was a winged reptilian of some sort with horrible breath. The parade of warriors continued for some time, and then it had been her turn.

"Princess Dalia, youngest daughter of King Meero of the world of Zainu."

At the word 'princess' the entire stadium had gone quiet and turned to look at the one being presented. A beautiful deep blue skinned girl stood in that place. Her indigo hair was styled in complicated braids and her mint-colored eyes were accented with make-up of a similar color. She had long, flowing garments of a strange fabric. She took a regal bow before the two of them, then turned and left with the other waiting fighters. Freeza followed her with his eyes. Something was different about her, something all the fools whistling and cat-calling her didn't know.

The presentation continued for sometime longer, until eventually there were no more warriors left. Koola and Freeza exchanged glances then nodded at the announcer.

"By their majesties' decree, the last twenty warriors left standing will have the honor of being considered," he said. "There are no rules, just fight and try to stay alive. Begin!"

The next few moments were full of frenzy for all those whose eyes weren't trained to see what was happening. Many of the fighters were crushed a few seconds into the tournament, but many others continued. Some time later, Koola pointed towards one of the corners of the room. There, about ten or so fighters had ganged up on the Princess of Zainu. She looked completely calm and in control and by the state of her garments, it appeared as if she was at a fancy cocktail, instead of being attacked from every side. Still, none of the warriors reached her. Her aura alone was enough to send them all flying the way they had come.

"Interesting," Koola said programming his scouter on the desired person. "A Princess? Notice her ki has barely risen since she walked in."

"Mmm. Is it possible for her to hide her ki?" Freeza asked clicking a few buttons himself. Suddenly her ki flew off the chart.

"Perhaps," his brother replied. "Either that, or these guys will really get a fight worth their money."

Freeza nodded while curling his lips. She proved to be merciless.

~oOo~

As expected, none of the fighters even got close to her when the last twenty had been left standing. Amongst them have been Zarbon and Dodoria and a few members of the future Ginyu force including Ginyu himself. They had each made their choice, Zarbon he had chosen for his style, tactic when fighting, and because he kept a cool head, Dodoria for his brute strength, even though his manner left a lot to wish for. Ginyu was a military genius though he could be rather odd, and finally Burtur for his speed. Koola had also made his choices, with his strongest being Sauza, but the decision of who trained the foreign princess had not been resolved. Finally, they chose to leave her out of it and train her both equally. She was also kept well hidden from the rest of the universe; only the chosen few knew of her true identity and never dared mock her again.

She had later on even helped Ginyu himself train his elite warriors, but had little patience for playing teacher. It had been she who had also brought to their attention the world of Konack in the Southern Galaxy. It had a race of extremely powerful priests who had been gifted by their gods in incredible ways. Many legends and myths of long gone heroes came from it so it had come to her attention. The original priests had over time become sorcerers and wizards and this could be put to great use. She had managed to bring one of the most powerful to them, and with his help, they had taken over that world. Coran had been a loyal servant ever since. He and Dalia were almost inseparable now after many years of combining her incredible power with his unusual one. Both had served Koola and Freeza well, and now, years after their death, had somehow managed to bring them back.

"Coran wishes to speak with you, there have been some unexpected events we hadn't thought of before," Dalia said after a bow.

"Does he know how to give us physical bodies again?"

"Yes, Lord Koola," she replied. "I believe that is one of the reasons why he wishes to see you."

Freeza chuckled. "He can come in."

Dalia looked towards the door then back at her masters. "There is something he must show you, if my lords would be kind enough to come?" Koola and Freeza nodded and let themselves be led by Dalia to where the other was.

Coran waited for them in library. His tall frame was bent over a pile of old and musty looking books. Like all of his species, he had large and extremely pointed ears. The humanoid youthfulness of his face had never left him despite his years and was complemented nicely by a head full of light red hair. As always, he wore the ceremonial robes of his place amongst his people: a sleeveless dark beige shirt that revealed an elaborate necklace covering most of his bare chest, with dark green pants and cape. As soon as he saw them enter the room he stopped what he was doing and greeted them with a low bow.

"My lords," he said respectfully.

Freeza nodded. "Tell us, Coran, what have you discovered."

Coran nodded and proceeded to explain: "You asked me to search for a way to give my lords a body, and this I have done. When Dalia and I began working on a way to bring Your Majesties back, we also had a plan on how to restore you to a mortal or physical body. We knew that without them, growing in strength would be impossible in the mortal plane and that the two of you have been training too hard in the afterlife to be stopped by this. Our original plan backfired on us, however, because when I invoked the magic to give you bodies, nothing happened." He walked back to the table and picked up one of the books he had been reading. "I have found out why. Apparently, like the sources of power used to bring my lords back were reciprocal but the same, the portal opened to lead you out of your prisons was too. We were aware of the one you came from, but somewhere else there was another that opened the opposite of your prison and let two beings, one for each of you, out of it. In our case, it was Heaven and the beings that came are out of my knowledge, but they must be same in power as my lords but opposite in intentions."

Koola crossed his hands over his chest and tapped his fingers impatiently. "How does this relate to our bodies?"

"I was coming to that, my lord," Coran said bowing his head. "Things changed because of this anomaly. I have been led to believe that my lords must find those let out of Heaven, along with another body to inhabit. The first of the two to get a body will possess it. The other one will add his power to the first. It will be like what many call fusion."

"Anybody?" Freeza said walking up to one of the large windows and looking out, his tail swaying in anticipation.

"Of species, yes," Coran said. "But it must be newly born for the union of power to be effective."

Koola gave a half-hearted laugh. "Too bad the Saiyan scum have no unborn offspring we could use, isn't it, Brother? I know they were the ones you had in mind."

Freeza chuckled. "I will have my revenge," he said softly. "They will pay dearly for what they did to me!" He clenched his fists and Koola could feel his ki rising rapidly.

"We will, Freeza," he told him. "What was that you once told me about Dragonballs?"

Freeza turned to them once again. "Yes! The Dragonballs! They can grant us immortality as well as bodies!"

"I have heard of such things," Dalia said. "There are two of you, however, and it would take more than one wish to achieve that for both."

Koola nodded. "We must find suitable bodies first, as well as those who came into the mortal realm with us."

"My lords," Coran called to them. His back was turned, but they could still sense the heavy magic he was using, "I think I may have found an appropriate candidate."

Koola and Freeza walked to see what he was doing and discovered a window of magic before him. Inside, a pretty human female talked to someone that was out of their sight range. The window widened and they saw who it was.

"Vegeta!" Freeza exclaimed angrily. "What-Who is the girl?"

"That," Coran told them, "is the one he has chosen to be his mate. But what interests me is her belly."

Dalia looked at the apparition and smiled. "She is with child!" she cried.

Coran nodded.

Koola chuckled. "The monkey prince… I remember him. Yes, this does make things more interesting."

Freeza laughed madly. "Nothing will hurt the stupid monkey more than to know his precious brat is possessed by that which he hates! Yes, then we can kill all he holds dear! All that have seen him and Son Goku will die by our hand!"

Koola smirked. "Take care of Vegeta, Freeza. Son Goku and I have some age-old scores to settle. I will make him pay for all he did to you and I."

Freeza turned to his brother. "Yes… it was by his blood that Papa and I were killed…"

"You confirmed it then? That kid was Vegeta's son?"

Freeza nodded bitterly clenching his fists in anger. "I learnt it in Hell when another defeated by them told me. Damnit!"

"Lord Koola, Lord Freeza," Dalia said, "allow Coran and I to go find your Dragonballs. We will also get you any other thing you might wish. As well as find out who your opposites are."

Freeza smiled coldly and as he looked at his brother. "Yes. That way Koola and I can attend to some of the pressing matters of state."

Koola grinned. "We will rally some old friends."

Dalia and Coran bowed. "We have already sent word to all the worlds of your empire," Dalia said being careful with her wording. Her lords were back and that meant all they had once claimed returned to them even if the worlds were not yet aware of it. "I have summoned the rulers at your request and leave you to choose when and where you wish to meet with them."

"Well done," Koola told them. "The two of you know where to go. I trust we will have what we want soon?"

Dalia nodded. "Whole worlds, if you wish, sire."

~oOo~

The warm afternoon breeze blew lightly, causing the thick green blades of grass to sway gently. A chain of mountains could be seen far away, bathed in shadows cast by the glare of the sunlight. The only sounds heard were the occasional song of a bird or the distant roar of a dinosaur and the air was filled with the aroma that could only belong during in the springtime.

Abruptly, a giant spiral of light and energy appeared above, breaking the peaceful scenery with a clap of thunder and the darkening of the formerly sunny sky. The earth trembled, shaking the firmament of the planet down to the very core and making all in its vicinity seek shelter in fear. Two figures, dwarfed by the magnificence of the spiral, ripped out of the portal and landed with a sickening thud on the ground. As swiftly as it had begun, it disappeared, leaving the two stunned beings lying unceremoniously on the hard ground.

One was medium sized with long tied-back white hair almost matching his lilac skin and very pointed ears decorated by a pair of earrings. He wore bright red and white robes suited for someone of high nobility. The other was much taller with green skin, an oval-shaped head with a form-fitting helmet tied with a cloth at the base, plus a golden halo over his head. He wore a long-sleeved navy blue shirt, white pants, and a heavy, white, sleeveless coat tied at the waist with a black belt.

"Damnit!"

"What the…!"

They both sat up simultaneously and turned to look at each other. The second who had spoken gaped at the first in stunned silence. His unintentional companion simply furrowed his brow in confusion, before turning to look around with a faint sense of recognition. "Are we on Earth?" he asked.

"Pardon me, but I wouldn't exactly know," the second being replied.

The first one nodded and glanced around again. "Earth," he murmured, as if confirming his own suspicions. He turned back to his companion. "Paikuhan, I presume?"

Paikuhan looked at him, puzzled, but nodded anyway. "Yes," he answered. "Have we met before?"

"No, but I've heard plenty of you," the other being said. "You have quite the reputation in Heaven as the one who challenges Son Goku in strength." He clasped his palms together and bowed respectfully. "I am called Kaio-shin."

"Lord Kaio-shin?" Paikuhan asked with surprise with a newly found utter respect. "What… what are you…or, rather… what are we doing here?"

"Um, well, I suppose that… um, well," Kaio-shin stuttered and then sighed. "I have no idea. But…" his face lit up once again, "I could go find out!"

Paikuhan raised an eyebrow as he watched Kaio-shin simply stand there expectantly. Kaio-shin held up a finger. "I'm transporting," he said, as if it explained everything.

Paikuhan simply stared.

After a few more seconds of lack of activity, Kaio-shin's face fell. "I don't understand… it's always worked before."

"Try again," Paikuhan suggested.

Several minutes later and still no teleportation, Kaio-shin clenched his fists and a desperate look came over his face. "Damnit!" he cried. "I've been stripped of my power!"

Paikuhan crossed his arms and turned around to look for the first time at their surroundings. Now that the spiral was gone, it looked once again peaceful and he could fully enjoy the beautiful scenery. "So this is Earth, huh? It looks a lot calmer than I imagined it would, with the reputation it's acquired…" He turned back to face Kaio-shin. "What should we do?"

At a loss, Kaio-shin simply blinked. "I… I'm not sure," he replied. "I suppose we should start by figuring out why we're here."

Paikuhan nodded. "Okay," he agreed. After a few moments of silence: "So... How do we do that?"

"Stop asking me as if I know everything!" he answered, distracted by the fact that he couldn't teleport. "What do I look like, a god?"

"Um." Paikuhan blinked. "Well, you're higher than a god…"

Kaio-shin snapped his fingers. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "God! This world's guardian: Dende." As if forgetting that he had a companion, he simply turned and flew off to the general direction of the Lookout. Startled, Paikuhan reflexively took off after him, catching up in no time.

"Lord Kaio-shin?"

Snapped out of his momentary reverie, Kaio-shin turned to him. "Sorry about that," he said apologetically. "I am not usually that rude. I'm simply eager to know what's going on."

Paikuhan nodded. "No apology necessary. I assume we are on our way to this Dende?"

"Yes," Kaio-shin said. "He knows all that goes on in this world, so if anyone can help us, it's him."

Paikuhan nodded and looked ahead at the needle like structure that appeared in the horizon before them. The needle proved to be an ivory colored structure rising from the firmament into the clouds. Carved from top to bottom, it was crowned by what looked to be a small circular palace room of the same material as the tower itself. To his surprise, Kaio-shin flew straight past it and higher still into the sky where a wide, cone-like structure floated above the ivory needle.

~oOo~

Dende sighed for the millionth time at the constant arguing in his head caused by a bunch of seriously freaked-out kais. Looking at Piccolo's face, he could tell that the older Namekian was losing his patience.

"This is all your fault, isn't North Kai?" the West Kai exclaimed, "You kidnapped my Paikuhan because he almost kicked the living crap out of your Son Goku, didn't you, you filthy son of a bitch?"

"I did no such thing!" King Kai cried in indignation. "How dare you accuse me of such malice? And did I let Freeza out of Hell too?"

"How would I know the criminal mastermind?"

"Are you suggesting I'd release such a tyrant from his eternal prison just to get back at you?"

"If the shoe fits—"

"Why you…!"

Dende covered his ears in vain to try to lock out the shower of screams, insults, shouts, and accusations that soon followed.

Piccolo clenched his teeth and snarled. "OK, CUT THE CRAP! ALL OF YOU!" he exclaimed. "If you sit in a circle and talk shit, we won't figure out anything!"

The stunned silence that followed was broken by someone clearing his throat.

Let's calm down, everybody." It was Dai-Kaio. "No use pointing fingers aimlessly. Besides, neither of you could explain, let alone plan the disappearance of Lord Kaio-shin."

"What!" the East Kai exclaimed. "He's missing too?! What are we going to do?"

"Dai-Kaio," Dende said, "you mean to say Kaio-shin is gone too? There are three people missing from your dimension?"

"Four," Dai-Kaio replied, "Lord Enma also said Koola was gone."

"Ah ha!" the West Kai said shoving his finger up into King Kai's face. "So you let the two of them out! Where are they?!"

At this, the taller South Kai had to restrain his northern companion by lifting him in the air by back the collar of his robe. "Lemme at him!" King Kai exclaimed waving his arms up and down and kicking his feet in anger and frustration. "I'll teach him a lesson in manners, I will!"

The West Kai stuck his tongue out at him causing even more reaction from the other. Instantaneously, the shower of arguments, insults, and yelling followed.

Dende sighed in frustration once again and turned his face away from the vision. Opening his eyes, he saw Kaio-shin and another looking at him blankly a few feet away.

"Lord Kaio-shin!" he cried out happily. "You're here!"

At this, Piccolo and Mr. Popo opened their eyes and turned to where Dende spoke.

"Lord Kaio-shin," Piccolo said. "What are you doing here? It's Hell in Heaven as it is."

Kaio-shin and Paikuhan walked up to the small group. "Greetings Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo. I was hoping you could answer that for us," Kaio-shin replied. "I have no way of communicating or transporting myself back there."

Dende furrowed his brow but nodded slowly. "I'll let the other kais know you are safe," he said and once again focused on the argument in his head. Things hadn't improved. Now both the East and South kais were trying to restrain King Kai while the West kai hid behind Dai-Kaio and shouted insults at the lot of them.

"Umm… excuse me?" Dende started.

Nothing.

"Lord Kais…? He's here."

Still nothing. He looked at Piccolo for his ever-present support in these situations.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Piccolo interrupted.

Once again, the kais returned their attention to their counterparts on Earth.

"Thank you," Dende started. "I was trying to tell you that Kaio-shin is here as is another, Paikuhan, I presume?" he said looking at the newcomers for confirmation.

Paikuhan nodded. Kaio-shin placed a hand on Dende's shoulder and shared the link with him.

"What has happened?"


	3. The Celebration

Space had always seemed cold and distant, millions of worlds together with a vast emptiness that separated them from each other. The universe was a huge void somewhere inside another void. This chain went on for eternity, mind-boggling when you gave it too much thought. Galaxies and stars were nothing, from dust they came and dust they would become if given enough time. Your existence could pass you by and before you knew it, you'd be no more. No one would remember you; no one would know the mark that you left in the nothingness of reality. She refused…

"We should arrive at Earth within the next twenty-four standard hours."

Dalia tore herself from the sight of stars flying past them and focused on Coran. "It's about time," she commented, standing up and walking up to the control board. "I had never thought it would be so far from Glai'keel-sei."

Glai'keel, the perpetually frozen home world of her masters, even though bathed in ice, had a unique and exotic beauty she found appealing. The flora and fauna had adapted to the harsh conditions of the planet. The Glai'keel-jin had even built a powerful civilization. One of the mayor reasons besides the incredible potential they had was that the people believed that their crowned rulers were descendants of their gods thus obeying them as if they were a deity. Proud of their planet, both Freeza and Koola, and all the kings before them had made sure nothing would come to harm it, them having always been an imperialistic race. Hence, its location was secret to the rest of the worlds. Holding a gathering like the one her masters had planned was extremely difficult. All the guest were directed to a chosen out-of-the-way planet, led around space for a while to loose direction, and from there, taken to the ice world itself. She idly wondered how it was turning out.

Coran chuckled and walked up to her. "You of all people should have known the planets are on opposite sides of the galaxy. Two weeks is good time, if you ask me."

"Earth…" Dalia said softly pushing buttons on the screen before her. "Let's see what the data banks say we'll be facing once we arrive."

Coran crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, following her progress. The black screen before them changed every time Dalia pushed one of the many options it held for her.

"You've kept your eye on Earth, I see."

"Yes," she replied without looking away from the screen. "Ever since Lord Koola was killed. . . It seemed impossible that both my lords died on the same place. King Kold said he'd pay a visit to Earth with Lord Freeza after the Namek incident, then Lord Koola went shortly afterwards. Neither returned. Ironic how they all died there."

Coran raised an eyebrow. "You sent spies?"

"Just some probes," Dalia replied. "They'd monitor ki activity. I should have a complete history of ki progress and growth for over the last ten years of Earth time."

The screen changed once again to look like a bar graph. It contained about twenty or so columns glowing in different colors.

"These are the most outstanding ki since then. . . Interesting, many disappear after sometime or... combine? Look here," she pointed at a two particular ki near the beginning. "These two are rather powerful, but then they undo themselves and combine with this other big one here. . . But they appear again later, see? The progresses of the graphs continue. They don't grow much though."

Coran furrowed his brow. "Can you tell their species from that?"

"I should," Dalia said clicking on the three desired columns. She raised an eyebrow. "That's strange. These two appear to be human but aren't classified as that. It's still the closest match, the third one… Well the third isn't classified as anything we know, but it gives a few similarities with human, Saiyan, Namekian and Glai'keel-jin?" Dalia stared at the computer in confusion. "What kind of freak was this?"

"Well, forget that case. Its ki disappears soon afterwards anyway," Coran said. He pointed at another. "What about this one? It's marked twice as the same one."

"This one's Saiyan, or partially so," Dalia said puzzled as she scrolled up the screen. "But from what I get it was a lot stronger at first, then disappeared, then appeared again weaker and has been growing in strength ever since."

"How far back was that? Maybe we should check the ki for the last few years," Coran suggested.

Dalia nodded and set to work. "Well… whoa! There are three huge ki marked here, and one just at their toes. The data is interrupted here… and then only two come back. The third must have been destroyed since his file ends there." She pointed at the smallest of the stronger three. "This one disappeared for a time, then it goes normal again… and the larger one disappeared for a really long time, judging by this chart. Years, I'd say, then came back."

Coran nodded. "What are they?"

"Two Saiyans and one unknown. That one increases in strength in almost the blink if an eye, but then disappears."

"Saiyans…" Coran muttered. "One must be Son Goku, and the other Vegeta." He walked up to the screen and backed out the original graph picture. "How many Saiyans?"

"Two pure ki. Well, three, but the third one existed only for a short time," Dalia said after checking. "And three hybrid... and another two. One that only appears for a span of a few hours, and another extremely powerful hybrid that comes and goes."

"The strongest," Coran said selecting them in order of power. "Two of the brightest disappear forever… Saiyan, Namekian, humanoid, and unknown. . . and this one? What is this one here?"

Dalia looked at the referred ki. It had appeared a few years back and again in recent days. The life force was unlike any she had seen before. Alive but… different. Not as strong as the Saiyans but mighty in its own way.

"I know not," she replied frankly.

Coran looked thoughtful for a few minutes. "Dalia," he said finally. "How strong have you become? We look to be having our hands quite full with this."

"Most of them shouldn't be a problem," Dalia said pointing at some of the bars. "Yet this one, Saiyan and human union that appears at random intervals out of nowhere, and the two pure Saiyans… I'd prefer to avoid them."

Coran looked away from the screen and out the port windshield. "Best we be careful while looking for the Dragonballs. I'd lower my ki from now if I where you, better not give them a warning that we are coming."

Dalia nodded. "Coran," she started. "How will we find our master's opposites? Bodies are easy enough with the Dragonballs, but what about their celestial halves?"

Coran grinned. "I was thinking about looking for a non-living ki. I'm assuming the beings we seek were rewarded in Heaven, hence keeping their essence."

Dalia raised an eyebrow. "How would we do that?"

"For starters, I checked back to when we summoned Lord Freeza and Lord Koola. I looked for an identical energy surge of when the portal opened somewhere else. You'd be surprised at what I found."

Dalia narrowed her eyes. What had he found?

"The portal seemed to have opened on Earth itself; hence, the ones we are looking for will be there."

Dalia's jaw dropped. "Why Earth? Why there of all planets?"

"I'm not sure," Coran replied. "I'm inclined to believe they appeared in the place they last had the most influence."

"So they are human?"

"Not necessarily." He went back to the screen and backtracked the last month. "It must be here, but maybe hidden because they aren't alive…"

"I'll check and reprogram to find a dead ki, if that's possible. At least a different one. . ."

It took Dalia a few minutes before her search was over. She smiled, satisfied. "Well," she said looking at Coran. "This one is definitely different, but recent. I found a few others like it but years back," Dalia said pointing at a ki that had suddenly appeared in the list of forces. "Very strong, yet elusive. Makes me think it wasn't supposed to be there." She checked the data files for dates. "And it didn't come alone. First time it appeared was three weeks ago, when our lords were summoned. It was accompanied by…"

She stared at the screen.

"Coran," Dalia spoke. "This one, the strange one, reappeared at that same time. But… It's alive, in a bizarre way, definitely not dead."

Coran stared at the screen. "Last appeared some years ago, when the strongest of all the life forces came together… Yes, this could be one. But what is it? Its living energy is different from all the others—"

Coran's jaw dropped as thoughts raced into his head. The portal opened to let a being from Heaven out. This creature was very much alive, but with the strangest ki either of them had ever seen. Could it be possible? Could it be one of believed kais?

"Coran! What is it?" Dalia exclaimed.

"I think…" he stuttered slightly. "I think we got more than what we bargained for." He smiled in disbelief and awe. Damn. His masters had to be strong to claim a god from its Heaven.

"What do you mean?"

"I think we got a kai," he responded turning his face to her and smiling.

Dalia blinked.

"I'd get ready if I were you," Coran told her. "Do everything that involves your ki now, before we arrive. It seems all we look for has come together on its own.

Dalia stared at her reflection of one of the windows before her. Kai? A kai! She smiled.

"Guess I better change," she told Coran looking at herself. "We've got quite a bit of work to do and I don't think blue is the going color where we are going."

~oOo~

It was already sunset by the time the wedding party reached their destination. Gohan and Videl's wedding ceremony had been beautiful and surprisingly uneventful, a rare occurrence among the Z fighters. The couple and their guests were now headed toward the bride's father's house, where the reception was to be held.

The fading sun left a swirl of orange and pink in the now darkening sky that matched the romantic mood of the occasion. Mr. Satan's backyard, thoroughly decorated for the reception, was covered with white, round tables fit for holding ten to twelve people, each decorated with elaborate flower arrangements. Running down the center of the yard between the tables was a long white carpet runner. In case of rain, a large tent been set up over the tables. The lights it was lined with gave it an appropriate sense of elegance. Expensive statues and figurines decorated the outer skirts of Mr. Satan's backyard.

An orchestra played on a stage towards the end of the yard. Behind them, there was a cement walkway that gave way to a large beautifully lit pool. The steady sounds of a waterfall gave the entire ambiance a soothing effect. On both corners of the yard there had been buffets tables set up and guests were already lining up, eager to get some food. At the end of one of the buffets sat a five-story vanilla wedding cake, also with a view to the pool.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

"My pleasure, it was a beautiful wedding!"

"Congratulations…"

Videl's cheeks felt like they were about to crack as she once again plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you," she replied politely.

"Look at you!" the tall, dark-haired man who stepped up next cried happily. "You're all grown up now. I remember when you were a little girl this big." To that, he placed his flat palm, face down, just below his hip. He then turned to Gohan and bowed respectfully. "You better take care of her," he told him with a warning tone.

Gohan smiled respectfully and bowed in return. "Yes, sir."

With a large grin that suddenly made him resemble Mr. Satan in a very uncanny way, the man continued to make his way to the buffet. His smile unwavering, Gohan leaned over to Videl and whispered in her ear, "Who was that?"

"No idea," said Videl with an equally unwavering smile.

Gohan turned back to the line of guests that they were greeting, wondering idly where the end of it was. He glanced over to the buffet, watching the people laughing and talking as they served themselves the mouth-watering gourmet food that could be smelled a mile away. To his great dismay, he suddenly realized that even if the line of guests were to be over right now, they still needed to go with the professional photographers to take pictures. It could be hours before he could finally settle down to eat. And by then, the food could already be gone… especially with his father, his brother, Vegeta, and Trunks there!

His stomach grumbled, as if in protest to the thought. So much for his wonderful Saiyan genes.

~oOo~

"…And this is their idea of fun?"

Freeza made his way around the crowded room and looked at his brother in mild discomfort. The sea of people around them parted rapidly as they approached and bowed respectively before them. The Grand Ballroom was one of the largest rooms of the palace. The hexagonal room looked even bigger thanks to the dozens of mirrors that lined its walls up to the domed glass ceiling showing a view of the almost omnipresent aurora in the starry sky above. Suspended from what looked to be thin air, a giant chandelier lamp lit the stance, shining thousands of lights down into the room below, bouncing off the mirrors and giving the entire place an air of grandeur and magic. Glass pillars and archways coming from the dome led the specter to the back wall that opened down into a large marble staircase leading to one of the many inner gardens adorned with statues and even whole gazebos carved out of blue ice.

The corners of Koola's lips curled. "This is your arena. I should think you'd know how to entertain these people."

Freeza chuckled. "Oh come now, what would Papa say? Surely you have not forgotten your manners? We'll get our fun later."

Koola watched his younger brother with interest. The strange glint in his eyes would have made anyone else's blood in the room run cold. He simply smirked. It was very interesting to see all the kings and nobles there kis up to them after years upon years of absence. If something hadn't changed, it was the fact that they were still the big hypocrites they had always been. But today, the weed would be separated from the wheat. Throughout the entire evening, they had gotten nothing but friendly conversations, complements, and thoughts of happiness for their return. Endless numbers of aristocrats and highborn folk had come speak with them for short conversations that barely lasted a few minutes. What was funny about this was that most of them had been the same people Dalia had told them had separated first after Koola had gone.

Freeza toyed absentmindedly with one of the planks clinging down from the necklace that held up the black velvety cape he had chosen for the occasion. Neither of them ever liked to dress up much for anything, but on this event, both had made an exception. Too bad Dalia wasn't here. She had always been such a great hostess, almost did their jobs for them.

"Lord Koola, Lord Freeza," someone called from behind them. Turning, they found the king of Atinú, one of the more powerful outer rim worlds, taking a bow.

Freeza expression was almost unreadable as he raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"We are happy to see you back, my lords," King Atinú spoke. "I must say, we were beginning to think you'd permanently left us."

Freeza chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that Atinú," he replied. Especially when Dalia told me what a particularly big pain you are. "You're service has always been flawless."

The other raised an eyebrow, but bowed. "An honor, as always."

Koola chose this moment to enter the conversation. "Interesting, don't you think? I always thought our subjects might have been a bit more reluctant to return to us."

King Atinú laughed. "Nonsense! Though I must say some worlds have been somewhat distant for a few years."

"Your world exports metals, does it not?" Freeza said recalling things from the past.

"Yes, Lord Freeza. One of the largest mines of silver existing is located in our greater moon, as many smaller ones of aluminum and other minor ores," he said proudly. Almost gloating over it, Freeza thought.

Freeza turned his head sideways to look around the other guests and grinned. "I recall a power struggle between you and your neighbor world for that some time before my leave."

"Yes," King Atinú said barely noticeably shifting his weight from foot to foot with some discomfort. "But it has been resolved."

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Well then," the King said. "I leave you to your other guests…?"

Koola nodded. Interesting how people bought time. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, after such a long time."

"The honor is all mine, my lords," he said while bowing.

They both nodded.

"What do you think?" Freeza asked after he was out of hearing range.

Koola was about to say something, then thought better of it. "Has he seen you like that before?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Brother?"

"Well," Koola continued, "You've told me yourself that you'd rather preserve energy in the past, so you kept a lower form. Yet King Atinú didn't seem to notice."

"You think he thinks this a hoax?" That would be interesting.

Koola still looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, or maybe he's up to something."

Freeza sneered. "Oh, I'd love to see him try."

~oOo~

All the guests had been greeted and Gohan and Videl were off by the pool with the photographers, posing for pictures while everyone else had settled in to eat. Friendly conversations echoed throughout the vicinity. Near the middle of the room the Z fighters and their families plus Mr. Satan sat around the largest table.

Typical Saiyans that they were, Goku and Vegeta were devouring their food as if it had been months since their last meal, when in fact they had eaten lunch just several hours earlier. Albeit, Vegeta devoured a bit more mannerly than Goku did. Since their friends were long used to Saiyan eating habits, they paid little attention as they carried on their individual conversations and commented on the lovely scenery.

From their places on either side of Vegeta and Goku, Bulma and Chichi were savoring the success of their planning.

"It was a beautiful service, Chichi," Bulma was saying in between mouthfuls. "Wasn't it perfect how it was all over right as the sun was setting? How romantic!"

Chichi nodded excitedly. "Only the best for my Gohan," she replied.

"Especially since you paid for nothing," Vegeta muttered, promptly earning himself an elbow on the side from his wife that he barely felt.

"I knew it from the start," Chichi continued as if she hadn't heard Vegeta. "Videl will make an excellent wife for my boy."

"Annff shesh 'urt, 'oo," Goku added with a mouthful of rice. Chichi and Bulma stared at him in confusion. Goku swallowed his food and barely got in a, "…and she's cute, too!" before resuming his meal.

"Do they know where they're going to live after the honeymoon?" Bulma asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Chichi answered. "They were checking out some houses not long ago, but I'm not sure which one they finally decided on."

"I'm glad they waited until after they graduated college to get married," Bulma commented.

"Of course!" Chichi said adamantly. "I wanted Gohan to get a full education first! Studies are the most important thing after all…"

"Only you, Chichi," Bulma told her with a smile.

Chichi returned the smile before turning back to her food. She caught sight of Bulma's protruding belly. "Speaking of children," she began, "it won't be long until you finally get a new addition to the family."

Bulma grinned. Whenever she hadn't been having morning sickness, mood swings, or bizarre midnight cravings, she had actually been on cloud nine since she had found out that she was pregnant once again. Even more so, after the doctors had revealed that it was a girl. Vegeta, on the other hand, hadn't shared her enthusiasm. He had complained that he had enough with one child and that he didn't need another brat to run around the house and annoy him. Regardless, he hadn't run away from his responsibilities as a father, and that was a lot to say about Vegeta. Now, even though he was still touchy about the fact that it would be a female, he had warmed to the idea. Bulma secretly thought that he actually even liked it.

"Only two more months," Bulma replied. "The room's all ready, and she's got a supply of toys and clothes to last her a lifetime. Or at least until she's one."

"And she won't stop buying," Vegeta added in between bites.

"Oh, be quiet, Vegeta," Bulma hissed. "Let me enjoy it."

"Have you thought of a name?" Chichi asked.

That was a sore point for the odd couple. Bulma pursed her lips and turned a glare on Vegeta. "We've tried, but Mr. I'm-so-high-and-mighty over here doesn't like any of the names I picked."

"You want to name our daughter after undergarments," Vegeta argued. "You've already wrecked my son's name, at least let my daughter have a decent one."

"You're one to talk, Vegeta," Bulma said, emphasizing his own name.

Vegeta growled low in his throat and set his chopsticks down, turning to set his eternal glare on her. "Are you mocking my ancestry?"

"Yes! I am mocking your ancestry, Your Royal Pain in the Ass!" Bulma shot back. "I refuse to name my daughter after a vegetable!"

"I refuse to name my daughter after an undergarment!"

Chichi could recognize the beginnings of a fight when she saw one, and she knew how distressed Bulma got when she got angry, especially when she got angry with Vegeta. The last thing Bulma needed so close to her delivery date was stress.

"I'm sure that whatever name you pick will be wonderful, guys," Chichi soothed.

"What the hell would you know?" Vegeta said, turning to Chichi. Chichi released a sound of indignation and got prepared to give him a piece of her mind. Before the fight could continue, however, another voice interrupted them.

"I remember her first word."

Vegeta turned his attention back to his food, while both Bulma and Chichi stopped what they were doing to look in the direction of the new voice. A teary-eyed Mr. Satan was staring down at his still untouched food. He had been quiet during the entire service and even after they had gathered around the table to eat.

"'Papa,' she said," he mumbled. "She was such a smart little girl. Strong as hell, too…"

Chichi smiled sympathetically, suddenly feeling a slight burning behind her own eyes as she patted Mr. Satan's arm. "Gohan picked his own name, you know," she told him. "We named him after Goku's grandfather, at Gohan's insistence." She laughed. "He hated all the other names we wanted for him and I guess he just liked that one the most. It fits him, doesn't it?"

Mr. Satan sniffled slightly as he listened to Chichi's story. "Videl learned how to fight before she could walk," he said. "I remember how I used to take her to the gym when she was a little girl. She was fighting and winning tournaments by the time she was six."

"My Gohan was fighting Saiyan invaders at about that age," she commented absently. Vegeta raised his eyes, fixing a hard glare on her. It didn't take a genius to recognize the veiled shot at him. She continued, choosing to ignore him. "I never wanted him to train, but I suppose we can't deny what's in his blood, now can we?"

"Let them do what they have to do, I say," Mr. Satan said. "Let them…" he let out a sob, "… let them… grow… up."

By now, they were sniffling together while Bulma watched in morbid fascination. She certainly hoped that Vegeta would snap her out of it if she ever acted like this when Trunks got married.

Her thoughts were reaffirmed, when she heard Vegeta clearly say: "Pathetic."

Goku finished his latest bowl of food and glanced up in time to see his wife and new daughter-in-law's father begin their bawling. He blinked in confusion and looked over to Mr. Satan's still filled-up plate.

"Hey, are you gonna eat that?"

The two-hour prelude to their little get-together was finally coming to a close. Now all the guests were making their way to the dinning hall were their dinner awaited them. Koola stoically watched the crowd slip through the ancient doorway on the far end of the lobby below. Freeza had left a few minutes before to attend some minor incident they had been informed of, but now returned looking somewhat annoyed.

"What happened?"

Freeza stood next to his brother and watched the crowd below them. "One of the prisoners has escaped. The clumsy fools down in the dungeon cells where taking a nap apparently. I made sure that it would be a permanent one."

"So he has been recovered?" Koola inquired.

"No. He's a slippery one, but I've got a team on it. Can't be bothered with something so minor, can we?"

Koola shook his head. "Any idea of who it might have been?"

Freeza crossed his arms over his chest. "He had no record, rather recent by what the guards down there say. It's intriguing, why would anyone refuse to write a record for a prisoner?"

"Let's not dwell on that thought much," Koola proposed. "We'll get him back sooner or later. Right now I think we have more pressing matters to worry about."

Freeza nodded and continued to watch the moving crowd like a hawk ready to pounce on some unsuspecting vermin. His eyes narrowed. The dinning hall was quickly filling up with nobles, many of them who had openly denied their allegiance to them and had showed up tonight with a big smiled plastered on their faces pretending the past was nonexistent. His dark lips curled. Tonight they'd learn a lesson he'd be sure no one would forget.

"Let's not keep our guests waiting," Koola told him. "We better get this show on the road."

Freeza nodded and followed his brother down to the dinning room.

~oOo~

Trunks set down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair, placing his hands over his belly and sighing in satisfaction. Beside him, Goten was still wolfing down his food as if there were no tomorrow. Several chairs away, he saw his parents arguing about something. Names again, probably, he thought. That had been a touchy subject between the couple and Trunks knew better than to interfere when his parents voiced their disagreements. Goten's mother looked to be trying to calm them down, while Son Goku was too involved in his food to notice the proceedings.

He turned away from the sight, having seen it quite often in his twelve years, and inspected the rest of the table. Krillin and Yamcha were laughing about something unknown to everyone else, guessing by the looks on the faces of Puaru, Tenshinhan, Chouzu, Juuhachigou, and Marron. To Chouzu's right sat Master Roshi and Oolong, who were not surprisingly, Trunks had learned, ogling beautiful women on other tables. Between Master Roshi and Mr. Satan sat the newest addition to the Z gang: Majin Buu.

The fat blob of pink, as Vegeta so fondly referred to him, was happily shoving food down his throat, occasionally glancing up to smile at his companions and getting up for more food.

Bored, Trunks turned his attention to the buffet, which was now devoid of people. For the first time since he had gotten there, he noticed the giant five-story cake sitting very soundly and very uneaten near the pool. Trunks could feel his mouth watering as he spotted the delicious-looking, frosting-covered pastry left unattended.

"Hey, Goten."

Goten remained oblivious, attention focused completely on his food.

"Goten," Trunks called softly, nudging his friend gently on the side.

Nothing.

"Goten!"

"Huh?" Goten looked up at Trunks curiously. He finished chewing the food he had just shoveled into his mouth before speaking again. "What is it, Trunks?"

Trunks grinned and nodded toward the cake. "You ready for dessert?" he asked mischievously.

Goten frowned and cocked his head to the side. "But I'm not even finished with dinner yet," he replied.

Trunks had to roll his eyes. For all the strength he had, Goten had always seemed to lack a bit in the brain department. "Look over there," he said.

Goten turned around to look in the direction Trunks had pointed in. That was when he, too, saw the luscious, insanely tempting cake. "Wow…"

"Isn't that the biggest cake you've ever seen?" Trunks asked. He had had some elaborate birthday parties often in his short life, being the son of the richest woman in the world, but even his birthday cakes paled in comparison to this one.

Goten nodded wordlessly, the plate of food in front of him suddenly forgotten as he was entranced by the sight of something way bigger and better.

"Let's go for it," Trunks suggested.

Goten tore his eyes from the cake to look at Trunks curiously. "To do what?"

Sighing with exasperation, Trunks curled his lips downward and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think?" Trunks said. "We're going to eat it, of course."

"But," Goten protested, even as Trunks started to slide off his chair, "won't we get in trouble?"

Trunks looked again over to the adults. His parents had stopped arguing now and the sight that greeted him made his eyebrows shoot up. Goten's mother and Videl's father were crying together, while his mother looked on in disbelief and his and Goten's fathers ate. On the other side of the table, the rest of the adults were involved in their own conversations and jokes. He was sure nobody would miss them.

"That cake was made to be eaten," Trunks pointed out, "not to be looked at."

"True," Goten conceded doubtfully. "But it's for everyone in the party…"

"Can you wait that long?" Trunks asked pointedly. At Goten's hesitant silence, he continued, "Fine. You stay here and be a chicken, while I go enjoy the five-story vanilla-frosting cake all by myself."

With one last look around the table to make sure no one was looking at him, Trunks slid off his chair and walked casually toward the general direction of the wedding cake. Goten, still in his chair, bit his lower lip as he inspected the cake longingly. He watched as Trunks walked inconspicuously through the tables for a while longer, before finally making up his mind and jumping off his chair as well.

Trunks grinned when he saw his best friend trailing rapidly behind him. "So you gave in after all."

"No way was I going to let you eat that big cake by yourself," Goten stated firmly.

Together, they crept over to the buffet and picked up plates, as if they were going to serve themselves food. When they were sure no one was looking, they made their move. Trunks spotted a pool-house not far away from the pool area and crept over to it. He opened the door and stood next to it to keep it from shutting.

Goten jumped up and flew at the cake, grabbing it as he was passing through and speeding into the pool-house milliseconds before Trunks shut the door and leaving behind him only a breeze. Their absence and that of the cake went unknown.

~oOo~

"I just can't believe that my little girl is all grown up and married," Mr. Satan was saying.

Chichi nodded in agreement, wiping tears from her eyes with a napkin. "I wanted Gohan to get himself a nice girl to marry and I'm glad he married Videl," she told him. "But that seemed like so far away at the time. He's always been my little boy…"

Bulma's eyes rolled to the ceiling of the tent. She was leaning against her chair with her hands on top of her swollen belly, having finished eating long ago. Listening to Chichi and Mr. Satan sob over their grown children had gotten really old really quick, but she didn't want to be rude and leave the table. Not to mention that her seven-month pregnant belly barely allowed her free movement and she was getting incredibly tired these days. She'd had Trunks so long ago that she had almost forgotten what being pregnant was really like.

Beside her, Vegeta was just finishing his last plate, his Saiyan appetite finally sated. Last bite eaten, Vegeta mimicked Bulma's position and rested against his chair. Bulma turned to look at him and raised a questioning eyebrow. "That was quicker than usual," she teased.

A corner of his mouth lifted in what passed for a smile for Vegeta. "Kakarot is still eating," he pointed out.

Bulma lifted her head just enough to see that Goku was indeed still shoving down food. She shook her head and returned to her former position. "I don't know how you Saiyans do it. Not even pregnant women eat that much in an entire day."

"The difference is that a pregnant woman gets fat," he replied nonchalantly.

Bulma's hand shot out automatically to smack his shoulder. She winced and cradled her hand, suddenly remembering that hitting Vegeta was like smacking a brick wall. Vegeta chuckled as he reached out to grab her hand to massage it gently and discreetly. After all the years of living on Earth around the people he would only refer to as friends in his thoughts, Vegeta had learned that none of them particularly cared whether or not he showed emotion. All the years of living with Bulma had softened him just enough that he didn't try to push away from her or their son anymore. He had settled comfortably into a daily routine with his family and had even gone as far as to create another child with her. Being a man of action and not words, Vegeta opted more often than not to show rather than tell his family that he cared for them.

And even that was in the privacy of their home, for Vegeta was a very private man.

Bulma smiled slightly at his show of public affection, choosing to enjoy the rarity of the event. As she turned her head toward the other side of the table, she suddenly noticed the two empty chairs. She sat forward and furrowed her brow, scanning the area around them briefly in search of her son and his best friend.

"Vegeta, did you see where Trunks went?"

Vegeta frowned, releasing her hand and looking at the empty chairs. Stretching out his mind he felt for his son's ki and found it not far away at all. "He's here, don't worry."

"Oh, they're here all right," Bulma said dryly, balling a fist and placing it on her hip. "Neither of them would ever leave food on a plate…"

"Who left food on a plate?" Chichi asked in surprise, as if the concept was totally alien to her. She wiped at her eyes and glanced at the space previously occupied by the pair of demi-Saiyans. "Hey, where did Goten go?"

She automatically looked over to the buffet, instinctively knowing that the only reason a Saiyans would leave a table of food would be to find more food. Frowning when she didn't find them, Chichi stood up and looked around to the rest of the room.

"Maybe they just went to the bathroom…" Mr. Satan suggested.

Both Bulma and Chichi were already shaking their heads before Mr. Satan had even finished the sentence. "Together? No way," Chichi answered. "There is food on that plate. The world could be about blow up around them and they wouldn't notice if there's still a plate filled with food in front of them."

Bulma nodded in agreement. "They're definitely up to something."

Chichi glanced at the buffet once again, half-expecting to see them there after all. It was then when she noticed the absence of the wedding cake. Her eyes went wide and her hand went to her mouth, but not before uttering a loud gasp that stopped all conversation around their particular table. All eyes followed hers and several more gasps were uttered when they noticed the now missing cake.

The gigantic pastry that had been adorned by the beautiful scenery of the pool behind it was now gone, thoroughly becoming a memory to be regarded only in pictures.

Amazingly enough, the gasps of surprise had stirred Goku from his food-ridden, one-track mind. He glanced up to see what had caused the sudden commotion, gaping when he realized what by now everyone else had. "Damn," he said. "And it looked really good, too!"

"When I find Trunks, he is going to be grounded for the rest of his life!" Bulma cried, knocking her chair back as she stood angrily, her pregnant state suddenly forgotten.

"Goten won't even be able to come out of his room in the afterlife!" Chichi added.

Mr. Satan stood up and placed a calming hand on Chichi's arm, preventing her and Bulma, who had clenched her hands into fists and was stalking forward with death written all over her face. "Well, you don't know that they did it…" he pointed out, trying desperately to be the voice of logic.

"Who else would steal a wedding cake?!" Bulma cried.

"Well…"

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly made them all start. They all turned to find an amused Vegeta holding two very sheepish hybrid Saiyans each by the arm. Their faces were covered in vanilla frosting.

~oOo~

The dining room had been made to accommodate the crowd being hosted, a rectangular room with wide glass windows showing the rare view of an eternally frosted ocean. Beneath the thick layer of ice, a frenzy of sea creatures lived. Most, if not all, had adapted brilliantly to life with barely or no sun underneath the glacier. The only thing you could see of the cornucopia outside was the bioluminescence they had developed in such eternal darkness. Anemones, giant sea fans, ice pillars overgrown with cold-loving coral, and infinity of fish shone their colorful night-lights to all the viewers inside. As if not to steal from the light show outside, dim candles and torches that gave off an ominous light decorated some of the remaining walls. A single table that occupied most of the living space had been set to seat the hundreds of guests present that night and had been garlanded fancily.

Moving to opposite ends of the table, both Koola and Freeza took their seats, quickly hinting for all others to also do so. A group of servants brought in the starting course according to each of the represented species and placed them before their designated owner.

"Before you enjoy your meal," Koola said standing up before his guests and quickly hushing the small conversations throughout the table, "I wanted to have a word." He looked across him to his brother before continuing.

Freeza nodded.

"It has been a long time since we last could see each other. No one could have predicted our time of absence as no one could have known for certainty the time of our return. But time is of no importance. Many of us enjoy a life span on hundreds of years, years in which we intend to grow and learn as much as we possibly can; time where we choose who our friends are and who we designate as our enemies." He took a quick look around the table before continuing. His eyes stopped on king Atinú long enough to see him lean back into his chair and drum his fingers nervously on the handholds before moving on. He grinned inwardly. This will teach you not to play with fire, old fool.

"No one can see what lies in a person's heart so no one can tell what others are thinking, yet actions speak louder than words. What we do can say a lot about who we are and what we want…"

Freeza listened to his brother's speech with mild enthusiasm. He already knew what Koola had to say so instead he took this chance to look at the different reactions of the people around the table. Seated a few chairs to his right was the Ambassador of Noiku-sei, a water world. He listened attentively and shifted in his seat from time to time at Koola's disguised threats. Farther down the table was Queen Shua'ree, Dalia's older sister and almost exact replica of her except for the fact that her eyes were periwinkle and Dalia's a mint green. Sheera-jin royalty had the knack to look like each other; many thought it a birthright and only amongst their more trusted circles did they know better.

To his far left was king Atinú. He was a sight. The fool, did he really think he'd get away with trying to drive a quarter of his empire away from him? He remembered Dalia's words: opened resistance and betrayal. He had been surprised at the fact that he had shown up at all. A sudden movement to his right caught his eye. Sitting opposite to king Atinú was someone he did not recognize. The dark-hair male slipped his hand under the table and slowly brought out what seemed to be a weapon of some sort. Freeza's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Game time.

Out of the blue, the being stood up, brought out his gun and shot Koola hitting him square in the chest with a large explosion. Screaming soon followed as the crowd realized what had happened and looked to see what was left of their host. The smoke cloud around Koola soon settled revealing him to be still standing the way he had been before and unharmed, his tail swaying slightly behind him.

"If that had been a few thousand times stronger," Koola told the hit man in a dangerously low tone, "I might have felt it." A smirk crawled into Koola's previously cold expression.

The now panicking sniper briskly pulled himself together and shot again. A sudden flash of red light illuminated the chamber. This was quickly followed by the hit man dropping his gun and placing a hand over his smoking chest as he staggered backwards away from the table. People around him screamed as they saw the blood begin to ooze out from inside his clasped palm and his collapsing onto the floor.

Freeza stood pointing a finger at the dying man, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his lips slightly curled. From across him and next to king Atinú, another man stood shouting in outrage and shot repeatedly at the Glai'keel-jin warlord.

Now it was Koola's turn to attack. Raising the palm of his hand before him, he gathered an energy ball and shot it at his brother's attacker. The other had barely enough time to scream in agony as he was quickly devoured by a ball of flames. Rising into the air, Freeza looked left and right for the ones Dalia said had turned against them. None of them would leave this room alive. The next few seconds were full of screaming, frenzy, and havoc as both Koola and Freeza attacked their powerless opponents from above with energy blasts leaving their corpses to burn were they stood.

Freeza landed soundlessly next to a terrified king Atinú. "My lord!" the other exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"

Freeza smiled devilishly. "Getting rid of the trash," he responded. King Atinú only had time to open his eyes wide in horror and let out a startled cry as he felt something sharp go through his chest.

Freeza raised his tail and the foreign king hanging from it. "I'll make sure your world knows why its king died… And that it has a merciful ruler if I decide we need it. Otherwise. . ." His eyes had a murderous glint as the corner of his lips curled slightly.

Blood was now coming out of the corners of the dying king's lips and oozing down Freeza's ivory tail from the open wound in the king's chest as Freeza threw him into the air blasted him down to King Enma.

A minute later, it was all over.

The room went deadly quiet as both brothers walked back to their chairs and sat down. Around them, a dozen fires burned feeding from the dead cadavers of the fallen.

"Please," Koola said signaling to the petrified guests and taking his seat once again. "Sit down and enjoy your meal."

~oOo~

On the far wall next to the pool cast by shadows, leaned a tall figure. Arms crossed over his chest, Piccolo watched over the ongoing events stoically. It seemed hard to believe that Heaven and Hell were in uproar and here, in now peaceful little Earth, the biggest of its protectors' worries was a missing cake. He watched with mild amusement as both Goten and Trunks managed to free themselves from Vegeta's grasp and were now being chased around the yard by their temperamental mothers. Piccolo was surprised that Bulma, even being pregnant, had managed to catch up to Chichi and was yelling at her eldest son just as intensely. Neither of the older Saiyans gave a shit, but a frustrated "Goten! Trunks!" from the other side of the pool proved Gohan wasn't as unmindful. He looked away, but not after seeing Gohan take flight and chase after the mischievous younger demi-Saiyans.

Piccolo clenched his fists as he thought back at the series of events that had happened for the last three weeks. First Dende had been recruited by the panicked kais and he, having been there at the moment, had learned of the escaped Freeza and Koola. Things had complicated afterwards with the arrival of Kaio-shin and the stoic Paikuhan a few minutes later. They had managed to somewhat calm the kais, but Kaio-shin's impediment of not being able to teleport back had them all in frenzy.

"Fu….sion… ha!"

Piccolo looked up just in time to see Gotenks turn and laugh at all his pursuers then take off in a sudden burst of power, leaving behind him startled screams from the specters. No one in the yard thought it worth to transform and go after them for the cake that was forever lost.

Piccolo turned his attention away once again. His jaw tightened in frustration knowing that two of the biggest tyrants ever to be born were once again free to rain down terror once again and neither he, nor anyone else knew where they were or what they were up to. Kaio-shin had told him not to inform the others until they were sure of exactly what they were walking into. He had reluctantly agreed realizing now that there was no use worrying them until something concrete could be done. Besides, he didn't want to spoil the merry occasion for his first pupil and friend. All they could do now was wait. Freeza would eventually make his move and they'd finally know how to react.


	4. And So It Begins

It was a dark night in the eastern hemisphere of Earth. The moonless sky was lit only with the bright stars that twinkled in the distance, reminders of unknown worlds far beyond reach. How many of those stars, Vegeta wondered idly, are worlds that house sentient beings much like the Earthlings?

Vegeta's lips were set in a thin line, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he balanced himself on the edge of his bedroom's balcony railing and regarded the Heavens with no small interest. It had been so many years since he had last been out among the stars. A strange sense of melancholy filled him as he remembered what it had been like to live only for the thrill of gaining strength and defeating the stronger enemy, the thrill of having no conscience, of living for himself, without having to worry about whose life your actions would affect. Even now, after so many years, it was still difficult to believe that he could wake up every morning to a plate of warm food on a large table and enjoy it with people who actually gave a damn about what happened to him.

It was amazing how not even death twice over had taken him from these warped turns his life had taken. He could taste the bitter flavor that was left in his mouth from swallowing his pride as he thought back to how he had forgotten who he was and where he came from, simply because his family had been put in danger. It was easy to blame it on his masculinity and the instinctive pull he felt to protect what was his, but by now Vegeta knew better. Somewhere along the line, when he hadn't been looking, when he had temporarily let his guard down—somewhere along the line, Vegeta had allowed his heart to feel once again.

Everything he had done had one way or another led him to this particular world, these particular people, and this particular life. Both in this dimension and in the one where his son from the future had come from, he ended up coming to Earth and dying to save its ungrateful and completely oblivious occupants. Vegeta hated to be controlled and he hated the thought of some mystical force that could control his actions and direct his life to where it wanted it, but it was random thoughts like these that made him wonder if Destiny was sitting on her throne somewhere, laughing at him this very second. It seemed like nothing he could do, no amount of evilness he knew he was capable of, would release him from this life that had been so blatantly imposed on him.

The scary thing was that he wasn't sure if he really wanted to be released from it. Somewhere along his reluctant path of life in Earth, Vegeta had grown to like the idea of having offspring to carry on his legacy. He had grown to like the idea of having people around him who accepted him, even for the asshole that he tended to be more often than not. It was a miracle he didn't understand—and he didn't try to understand—that Bulma had held on around him for as long as she had without snapping. Her strength of character, one of the many reasons he had been attracted to her in the first place, was unwavering even in times of pressure and rivaled his own steadfast control. He marveled at the fact that they could even have decent conversations, considering the immense amount of pride they both possessed.

Yes, Destiny was indeed laughing at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, shifting against his seat on the railing and leaning his head against the wall, allowing his dark thoughts to consume him temporarily. He made no move to abandon his post, even as the lights behind him in the bedroom flickered on.

~oOo~

Bulma stepped inside the dark bedroom and glanced around as she took note of the quietness. The bed was still made, indicating that nobody had used it since that very morning she had set it up. She frowned as she walked over to her bedside lamp so that she could have some illumination.

After a long day of sitting at her desk at Capsule Corporation doing paperwork, she had come home, hoping to relax in bed with a book, only to be met by a hungry Saiyan boy. She had resigned herself to make him something for dinner, all the while wondering why the sweet aroma had yet to cause her husband to wander in. For once, he hadn't been in his training room, and she figured the once other place she would find him was their bedroom. However, even that was unoccupied. Was he even on the property grounds?

Now she stood by her dresser, taking off her jewelry and the comfortable clothes that she now wore to work as she looked forward to the next month when she would finally be satisfied enough with her work that she could take her maternity leave. She set down the last of her bracelets and reached behind her to lower the zipper in her maternity dress when she caught sight of a silhouette in the shadows of her balcony. In a moment of fear, her heart skipped to her throat but she forced herself to swallow it, finally recognizing the muscled outline of Vegeta sitting on the edge of the balcony railing. She smiled softly, marveling at his sense of balance. Even after all these years, it was still strange to think that even in the unlikelihood that he were to fall off, he could simply levitate himself back up, unharmed.

She stripped down to her underwear and slipped on a heavy robe, tying the sash loosely over her swollen belly. Keeping a casual pace, she opened the sliding door quietly and looked outside to see him more clearly. Only the stars and a single light on the opposite side of the balcony outlined his handsome profile: serious, slanted eyes that seemed to be eternally scowling resting above high cheekbones and a pointed, regal nose set over a sharp jaw and small mouth. Framing his head was a mane of unruly black hair that was always defying the laws of gravity.

Just like the man it belonged to.

By all means, his unruly, dark personality should have been a big turnoff for her, should have been being the key phrase. It seemed that she was always attracted to the bizarre, unstable, mysterious type. Instead, it had only served to attract her more to him, eventually. That is, of course, after she had spent a good deal of their first meetings cowering behind either Krillin or little Gohan.

Vegeta was the embodiment of all that was wicked, yet somehow that only served to further produce a mystery she was all too willing to figure out. Fifteen years later, she had yet to decipher him. She didn't think she would have it any other way.

"Hey," she called softly.

There was no answer, but then again, Bulma hadn't exactly been expecting one.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked.

She didn't even bother asking why he was out there. Fifteen years hadn't been enough to fully decipher this dark man, but that wasn't to say that she hadn't at least learned to read his onyx eyes and his expressive body language. She couldn't even count the number of times he had come out here simply to clear his mind or to think.

"No," came the swift answer from Vegeta.

"No, of course not," Bulma replied dryly as she closed the sliding door behind her and walked over to stand against the railing several yards away from Vegeta. "You mighty Saiyans are immune to all that is uncomfortable, right?" She crossed her arms over themselves, suppressing a shiver in the cold night air.

As Bulma had expected yet again, Vegeta didn't answer and she didn't press. She could tell he was lost in some other world right now, thinking about things that probably plagued his dreams and his thoughts. She placed her folded arms over the railing and followed his gaze to the night sky. It was obvious that Vegeta wasn't in the mood to talk, but Bulma had never let that stop her from doing so. If she had backed down at his hostility all those years ago, they would've never gotten to where they were that day.

"Are you looking at something specific?" asked Bulma.

Vegeta didn't even turn his head to look at her as he spoke. "Go back inside," he replied. "The cold isn't good for you."

It was then when Bulma noticed that he was simply staring into space. His face revealed that he was lost in a void of thoughts, so she decided to leave him to them. Even after all these years, getting him to talk about what was on his mind was like pulling teeth. If he wants to drown, he can knock himself out, for all I care.

Bulma pursed her lips together in annoyance and pushed herself off the railing, arms still crossed over her chest. She suppressed another shiver, finally giving in to her body's protest and turning to leave. As she turned, a sliver of moving light in the sky that caught the corner of her eye caused her to turn back again.

A shooting star, Bulma thought. Well, you sure picked a hell of a night there…

She stared at the spot where the shooting star had just passed, remembering with a degree of irony how she had used to stand here in this very balcony with her father to watch the sky for shooting stars to grant her heart's desire.

~oOo~

"Papa, what's that?"

Dr. Briefs looked up from where he had been fiddling with the telescope to see what his daughter was pointing at. Seven-year old Bulma Briefs was staring with fascination at the spot where a dash of light had just passed by, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"That's called a shooting star," Dr. Briefs answered. "For the most part, they are residue left behind from a comet. Sometimes, they're not associated with a comet, though, and that's what we call a…" He trailed off, noticing that the little girl was more interested in the pretty lights, rather than where it actually came from.

"You know, Bulma," Dr. Briefs began again. "If you make a wish after a shooting star goes by, it'll come true."

Bulma tore her round eyes away from the night sky to look at her father with excitement. "I want to wish for something!"

Dr. Briefs smiled contentedly, habitually chewing on his pipe and holding it thoughtfully as he tried to remember how the saying for the wish went.

"Say it with me, now," he said. "Star light, star bright…"

"Star light, star bright," Bulma repeated dutifully.

"…I wish I may, I wish I might…"

"…I wish I may, I wish I might…"

"…have the wish I wish tonight."

"…have the wish I wish tonight."

"Make a wish," Dr. Briefs prompted.

Bulma barely considered it, knowing exactly what it was she wanted to have. "I wish to grow up and marry a handsome prince and live happily ever after!"

Dr. Briefs smiled in amusement. Mrs. Briefs had read Bulma so many fairy tales that she now had the little girl wanting to be in one of them. He knew no harm could come from it, of course, so he let the girl have her dreams. Who knew? Maybe one day she would get her prince…

~oOo~

Bulma turned to look at Vegeta once again, this time in mere amusement.

Yes, she had gotten her prince. Of course, when she had made that wish so many years before, she hadn't counted on her "handsome prince" being a handsome alien prince with a disgruntled attitude and the personality of a chair.

Well, I guess I can't complain, Bulma said in her own mind. It's not like I was ever specific.

In her mind's eye, she could see Destiny keeling over with laughter at her little prank. "Gee," Bulma said softly. "Who would've guessed?"

Despite himself, Vegeta looked toward Bulma again. Her eyes were glued to a spot in the sky and she was smiling in wonder. A small hand had moved over her belly, the cold air momentarily forgotten. "Someone up there definitely has a twisted sense of humor," she mused, "if they thought it'd be funny to have us get together and make children."

A corner of Vegeta's mouth lifted up in amusement. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Bulma looked to him, her eyebrow raised in amusement. "This really wasn't what you had in mind when you decided to come here, was it?"

They both knew she wasn't referring to his decision to come sit out on their balcony railing. Vegeta furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

"My only goal was to defeat Freeza," he replied. "I didn't exactly have any plans beyond that, except maybe for taking my rightful place as ruler of the universe."

Bulma bit her bottom lip to smother a smile at his matter-of-fact tone. He spoke of his life-long ambition as if it were the simplest thing one could accomplish. She imagined it came from so many years of using the idea as comfort. Living under Freeza's rule couldn't have been the easiest thing in the world. She had never gotten the opportunity for an up close look at the bastard who had caused so much pain for Vegeta and many others, but she knew enough about him by now to know what kind of a creature he had been.

"And how were you planning on achieving this goal of yours?" she asked him, determined to use this rare moment of openness to unlock one more piece of the puzzle that was her husband.

"I didn't have to plan anything, Bulma, all I had to do was be stronger than Freeza and demonstrate it. Power commands respect. It's simple as that."

Bulma sighed. "It's not simple as that. You earn respect by doing good things…"

She was interrupted by Vegeta's snort. "You have no idea how the universe really works," he told her. "You've lived a privileged lifestyle your whole life on this stupid backwater planet."

Bulma furrowed her brow in exasperation. She hated these conversations between them that remind her of just how the man had been raised... and by whom. As opposed to Vegeta, she had lived in a big mansion her entire life, catered to her every whim and spoiled rotten by loving parents. Her entire life had been a game to her, filled with privileges that she had taken for granted for as long as she could understand them. Her biggest concern, up to the point where she had started the dangerous part of her adventure with Son Goku, had been finding the perfect boyfriend. And ever since she had been a teenager, she had lived with the knowledge that if anyone close to her were to die, he or she could always be wished back with the Dragonballs and all would be fixed.

As she thought back on it, she realized that, despite everything that had happened over her lifetime, she had regardless lived in relative peace, compared to even the little she knew about Vegeta's past. She couldn't begin to imagine what could have happened to make a man to be so sour at life, so untrusting. Of course, she knew that by nature the Saiyans weren't saints by a long shot. If Vegeta-sei had survived and Vegeta had been able to fulfill his destiny as the prince of his entire race, she knew he would be a very different person today.

But that's not what had happened and this is who he was today. This emotional shield he constantly kept around himself—even as he has softened and allowed himself to care as time passed—she knew it was to protect himself from the pain that had been inflicted upon him during his life and from the people who had used him to achieve their ends. Had he ever even known love before? Had he ever even had a family before? The thought had always nagged at her in the back of her mind, but she had never found the courage to ask before.

"What about your parents?" she asked.

"What about them?" he countered.

"Don't you ever miss them? Or your home planet? Your people?"

Vegeta averted his eyes and turned his head away. "I was too young when they all died to remember any of it well enough to miss it." He narrowed his eyes in anger at something unseen. "It doesn't matter anymore. Missing it won't bring it back."

Bulma considered her next question carefully. It wasn't like Vegeta to spill his heart out, so she knew how to be content with what she got. Still, she couldn't resist taking advantage of his mood and get what she could from him.

"If you could go back and change things… would you?" she asked cautiously.

There was a long, drawn out silence and Bulma concluded that she wasn't going to get her answer. Disappointed, she turned to go. She had reached the sliding door and was about to pull it open before she finally heard Vegeta's deep voice.

"What happened, happened. I don't second-guess myself."

Yes, indeed, thought Bulma. That had always been his life's philosophy and she couldn't say it was surprising. After all, hadn't everything that happened in his life eventually led to this very moment? If things had been different for him, would she be carrying Yamcha's or some other man's child today? Did it even matter?

The sound of the sliding door opening and then closing filled the air, killing the silence and thus ending the conversation.

~oOo~

Kaio-shin strolled down one of the many halls that formed Kami's Lookout. Like so many times in the past few weeks, he was once again lost in his thoughts. Ever since his unexpected arrival to Earth, numerous questions had clouded his mind. He remembered how this sudden twist of fate had begun. The luminous orb of light and energy had suddenly appeared above him claiming him from his home with incredible strength that he had been powerless to fight. Next he had come to be in Earth, very literally stranded on the planet with his other Heavenly companion, Paikuhan. They had come to ask for the local kami's help here and had learned from Dende of the immense confusion Heaven was in.

How all this had come to be was still beyond him and every other kai he knew, but there was no shadow of a doubt that whoever had freed the two evil warlords from Hell had great knowledge and power to rival even that of Babidi and his father. He hated this sense of uselessness and powerlessness he was feeling. There was nothing he could do at the moment except wait and set an example for everyone else that looked up to him. Working with the other kais was no easy task, mostly because they were well-known to bicker and quarrel over almost anything, but he had managed to get them back under control. Here on Earth, Dende, Mr. Popo and Piccolo had done all in their power to make both Paikuhan and him feel comfortable, but the two of them knew for a fact there were dark times at hand.

Paikuhan had not let this minor setback of being transported back to the world of the living upset his training. Ever since he and Piccolo had learned of the ongoing events, they had embarked on a journey of intense training. Neither of them spoke much, but they somehow understood each other just fine. He, on the other hand, had set his training aside for the time being and instead focused on concentrating all might into figuring out what was going on.

Since the incident with the evil Majin Buu, Kaio-shin had learned that even though he was the god of gods, he was still very weak in comparison to some mortal fighters. This had come as a great shock to him since he had always believed himself to be the single most powerful force in the universe after the death of the other four Kaio-shin. On his first coming to Earth, after knowing of the malignant wizard Babidi's intentions of resurrecting the demon Majin Buu, he had learned differently. He had gravely miscalculated the assistance the Saiyan inhabitants could offer, hence leading to the downfall of misfortunate events that had followed. This had eventually climaxed in the destruction of the planet and the death of almost every single person that lived on it. What ate him up inside was that throughout the entire ordeal, he had been powerless to do anything to prevent the tragic outcome. Instead, he had trusted young Son Gohan to kill the demon off for him.

Eventually, even Son Gohan had failed and died, leaving the fate of the universe once again to rest on the shoulders of Son Goku who, with the assistance of a revived Vegeta, a cocky Mr. Satan and surprisingly enough, part of Majin Buu himself, had by a strange twist of fate managed to stop the fiend in his tracks before he could destroy this universe and his. With the aid of the Dragonballs, and to Dai-Kaio-shin's great disapproval, they had managed to make of this dimension what it once had been. Kaio-shin wondered idly what the old goat was up to at this very moment. Leaving him alone in Kaio-shin-sei for long didn't seem like a very good idea. Good thing he had gotten his hands on a generous supply of magazines and comics to keep him busy for a while.

Kaio-shin tightened his jaw. Ever since then, he had vowed he would never again let his responsibilities land on the shoulders of others. Since then, he had been training day and night to make himself stronger. Now, it seemed his strength would be tested.

He was passing by one of the many rooms in the hall when he heard a loud gasp. He looked inside the arched doorway and into the room. Like many others in the Lookout, this one was fascinating and undoubtedly had its own secret power and purpose. The room was circular and dark with a vaulted ceiling. Mineral crystals were growing out of the wall and a faint trickle of water could be heard. It was faintly illuminated by the gems and geodes it harvested and he noticed a shallow trench on the floor where a shimmering liquid, undoubtedly the water that slithered down the walls, gathered and ran around the room like a circular stream. On the far wall, seven black pillars emerged from the floor each holding up a giant and well cut crystal formation. Of the seven, four of them glowed, casting a ghostly light on their surroundings. Before them stood Dende, staring with a worried expression as another stone lit up suddenly.

"Dende?" Kaio-shin spoke. "Is everything alright?"

Dende turned rapidly, startled by the presence he had failed to notice. Seeing it was Kaio-shin, he lowered his head. "I'm not sure, Lord Kaio-shin," he responded. "This could mean anything, it was unexpected."

Kaio-shin walked up to glowing crystals. "What worries you?" he asked contemplating them with interest.

Dende sighed. "These crystals were created by the former Kami to keep track of the Dragonballs. Each of them represents one. When they start to glow, it means that they have been collected from their resting place on Earth."

Kaio-shin turned his head sideways to face the young Namekian. "So the Dragonballs are being collected? Why does this worry you so?"

Dende shuffled his feet. "The legend of the Dragonballs' power isn't common knowledge. Barely a hand full of people knows of them, most of which you know. What worries me is the pace at which they are being collected. I've been monitoring their progress and it is very different from one where one of the known users would have and way too fast for any other person." Kaio-shin picked a sudden seriousness of the other's tone. "With all that's been happening," Dende finished, "I can't help but think the worse."

Kaio-shin nodded solemnly. "Is there anyway of knowing who gathers them?" he asked.

Dende nodded. "I was going to go look down to Earth now and see if I could tell who it was."

The Supreme Kai nodded. "Let's go."

Standing on the rim of the Lookout, the two of them looked down to the earth. Somewhere behind them, and happy Mr. Popo sang merrily as he watered the flowers that grew on the numerous gardens. Moving rapidly in the air above, they could sense Piccolo and Paikuhan's energy as they were engaged in rapid battle exercises.

"They aren't human," Dende concluded after looking down a while. "Two of them, a male and a female, very human-like, one almost identical, but their ki are wrong. Barely… it took me a while to catch the difference of that one."

Kaio-shin looked grim. "So we can assume someone from off the planet knows of the Dragonballs? You once told me Freeza went to Namek in search of them. Is it safe to conclude he could have sent for them?"

"Yes," Dende replied. "That is what I fear."

Kaio-shin clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. They couldn't afford to wait any longer. "Piccolo! Paikuhan! We must talk. The time for action has finally come."

~oOo~

Goku's head broke the surface of the river as he scanned the water around him for his fishy prey. Spotting it a few meters away, he dove back under after it. He really regretted the fact that Goten wasn't able to join him, but Chichi had him in a strict 'no fun' punishment ever since Gohan's wedding and according to her, he still had another thirty years to go before he could leave his room.

Swimming rapidly, he prepared to catch that night's dinner by the tail, when that familiar snap inside his head distracted him long enough for the two-ton fish to get away. He swam to shore and stepped out of the water just as the mental message was coming in.

"Excuse me, everyone," the young voice spoke in his head. "I don't mean to interrupt, but it is very important that you come to the Lookout right away."

"What's up, Dende? Is there a problem?" Krillin's voice spoke next.

"Yes," Dende replied. "But I'll tell you once you are all here."

Goku narrowed his eyes, wondering what could possibly be wrong now, after everything they had all gone through just a few years before.

"We'll be there," he said.

~oOo~

Gohan sighed again, the sound lost in the roar of the wind that surrounded him as he flew at moderate speed toward Kami's Lookout. Beside him, doing her best to keep up, was his new wife Videl. Too preoccupied with whatever had caused Dende to call for them so urgently to remember that he wasn't flying alone, Gohan increased his speed a bit more. Videl scowled at him, even though he wasn't watching, and tried to increase her own speed a bit more. She was a little upset about having had to cut their honeymoon short, but she knew that if Dende wanted to see them, it was probably something important.

"Hey!" she called to him, snapping him out of his reverie. "Slow down a bit, would ya?"

Gohan glanced back at her sheepishly and slowed down again to match her pace. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just eager to get there."

"I'll bet," Videl answered. "What do you think this is all about?"

Gohan pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's probably important."

"You don't think it has anything to do with Buu, do you?"

"No," replied Gohan. "I doubt he'd start giving problems after all these years."

Their conversation was cut short as they spotted the Lookout looming over the horizon. Together, they flew to it, anxious to finally get some answers.

When they got within sight range, they noticed the entire Z gang was already there. Vegeta, as always, was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and looking very annoyed. Juuhachigou had a similar position on the other corner of the Lookout, while Tenshinhan and Chouzu were talking quietly several feet away. Krillin, Yamcha, and Goku were involved in a friendly conversation near the entrance to the palace.

Gohan and Videl touched down on the ground gently, attracting attention to themselves by clearing their throats.

"Gohan!" Goku cried happily. "Glad you could make it, son."

Gohan smiled and nodded once. "Me too," he replied. "So can anyone fill me in on what's going on?"

"We're not sure. We've been here for about half an hour, but Dende's nowhere in sight," Krillin spoke up.

"We guessed he was just waiting for everyone to get here," Yamcha added.

Gohan looked around again, noting that Piccolo wasn't there yet. "I guess Piccolo is the only one missing…"

"I'm right here," a deep voice said from behind him. Videl jumped in surprise and whirled around to see the tall Namekiann directly behind her, arms crossed over his chest, gazing at them down his nose. Even after all this time, his presence was still slightly intimidating to her, but she had learned to deal with it because he was so important to Gohan.

"Piccolo!" Gohan said in greeting. "So do you know what this is all about?"

As if in response to the question, Piccolo turned his head to the palace's entrance making the rest of the fighters look too. At that moment, Dende and Mr. Popo were walking out accompanied by another two figures.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Dende spoke capturing the attention of all those present. "The reason I called you all here is— "

"Whoa! Paikuhan's here!" Krillin exclaimed. "Two tall, stoic, and green dudes in proximity! I should start worrying…" Everyone turned to glare at him. "Sorry," he added sheepishly.

"Kaio-shin!" Gohan exclaimed. "It's good to see you. What brings you by?" Kaio-shin nodded and motioned for him to listen to Dende.

"As I was saying, " Dende continued, "the reason I called you here is because something terrible has happened. Approximately three weeks ago both Heaven and Hell were set in uproar because nature was upset…"

Vegeta snarled impatiently. "We don't need your melodramatics, get to the point already," he snapped.

Dende looked at Kaio-shin for support. "What he is trying to say," the higher deity started, "is that Freeza and Koola have been released from Hell."

There were a few seconds of silence while the information sank in. Goku, Gohan and Vegeta narrowed their eyes while everyone else but Videl gapped in shock.

"Who?" Videl asked in confusion.

"Could you run that by me again?" Tenshinhan said at the same time.

"What do you mean Freeza and Koola have been released?!" Vegeta cut in. "Hell is an eternal prison. You don't just walk out."

"We know," Paikuhan told him. "We aren't sure what to make of it yet."

"So is that why you're here?" Gohan asked.

"Technically," Kaio-shin spoke. "We're not sure why we are here, but we believe that we came to this dimension with them and are being kept here with no way to return home. I'm not able to teleport back to my planet."

"How long ago did this happen?" Vegeta snapped angrily.

Dende pursed his lips, hesitating before finally answering. "Three weeks ago."

Vegeta shook his head in angry disbelief and turned around, the muscles on his back twitching with tension.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Goku asked.

"There was no reason to alarm you," Kaio-shin answered. "Before today, nothing had occurred that caused us to worry further. We've been trying our best to sort things out."

"What…" Krillin said. "What do you mean 'before today'?"

"That's why I called you here," Dende spoke up. "The Dragonballs have been collected by someone other than you guys."

"The Dragonballs?!" Yamcha cried. "Who else would know about the Dragonballs?"

"That's the problem," Dende replied. "No one who can gather them so quickly."

"So…" a new female voice spoke up, causing everyone to turn to shift their attention to Juuhachigou. "You're suggesting that Freeza and Koola gathered them."

"Not them personally, of course," Kaio-shin stated. "But we think he probably sent someone for them…"

A sudden burst of ki caused everyone to start and look up in time to see Vegeta flying away.

"I guess he's hit the hardest of us all…" Goku commented.

"I hope he doesn't do anything stupid," Yamcha added.

"Ouch," Krillin said. "Freeza and Koola at the same time. And I thought that one at a time was bad!"

"Why is this even a problem?" Tenshinhan asked suddenly. "Goku and Vegeta are both way stronger than them. They've been defeated in the past. All we have to do is find whoever's gathering the Dragonballs before they finish."

Piccolo, who had been quite up until now, finally spoke again. "We can probably assume that, just like Goku, Vegeta, and the other Saiyans, they've had just as much time to increase their strength in the afterlife."

"Plus," Dende added. "I'm very disturbed that were even able to leave the afterlife. We don't know why Paikuhan and Lord Kaio-shin are here in the first place and why Lord Kaio-shin has lost his ability to teleport."

"What do you want us to do, Dende?" Yamcha asked.

Dende blinked a few times, not having expected that question just yet. He turned to look at Kaio-shin expectantly. Kaio-shin looked back at him for a few moments and then turned to look at everyone else, who were also looking at him expectantly.

"Well…"

~oOo~

He should have known his mother would have eventually caught up to him. Goten and he had fled home where, a few hours later, the still-enraged Chichi and Bulma had found them. Needless to say, the two of them had been grounded for the remainder of their time alive, but if there was one thing Trunks had learned in his twelve years of life was that the things you couldn't get through, you had to find a way around.

He had applied that particular bit of information on this punishment today. Deciding that he had already spent enough time indoors, he had snuck out of his bedroom when his mother had been busy elsewhere in the house with the planning of the arrival of his new baby sister. His dad had left early that morning, not bothering to tell anyone where he was going. Since the ki-sensing danger was gone, he was free to do what he wished, or at least he had a few hours while Bulma didn't miss him. He had been on his way to his best friend's house when the ship had caught his eye. It wasn't far from his house, a round spaceship with numerous oval-shaped windows around it and spider-like legs that kept the main body a few meters from the ground. Driving down his uncontrollable curiosity, he had opted for finding Goten first to explore the strange device.

He landed soundlessly next to the window that led to his friend's bedroom. Peeking inside, he spotted a bored-looking Goten flipping through a picture book on his bed. He grinned and tapped the glass window softly to get his attention. The sound distracted Goten enough to make him look up at Trunks. A wide smile parted his lips as he spotted his friend waving at him from the window. Goten jumped out of bed and hurried to open the only door that connected him to the outside.

"Trunks! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

Trunks held a finger up to his lips signaling for silence. "I'm here for you, silly," Trunks replied in a low voice. "But keep it down. We wouldn't want your mother finding us out."

Goten nodded excitedly. "I thought it would be a while before I got to see you again," he said helping Trunks into his room.

"Yeah," Trunks agreed. "But here I am! And wait 'till I tell you what I found."

"What?" Goten asked curiously.

"Well," Trunks started. "I was on my way here when I spotted a bizarre looking ship. By the thick outsides I'd say it's a spaceship, but I've never seen one like it before."

"You think there are aliens in it?"

Trunks scratched his chin. "Maybe. That's why I came to get you, let's find out!"

Goten looked towards the door nervously. "But what if Mom finds out I left?"

"What if she does?" Trunks countered. "We're grounded for life as it is so more punishment won't make much difference."

Goten considered this for a few moments then nodded. "I guess you're right." He walked towards the window and began to climb out. "Should we take anything?"

"Umm…" Trunks said looking around. "Well, since there might be evil space aliens, we might need a weapon, but you have none here. We'll have to go back home and get my sword."

"Your sword!" Goten exclaimed, the need to keep his voice down forgotten. "The one Tapion gave you?!"

"Shhhhhhh!" Trunks hissed. "Yes! That one. Now let's get out of here before we get caught."

Goten nodded sheepishly and flew out the window followed closely by Trunks.

"So where's your dad and Gohan?" Trunks asked once they were well on their way back to Capsule Corp. "I know Dad left this morning in a really big hurry, but he didn't say where to."

"Well," Goten started, "Dad went fishing this morning, but hasn't returned. My brother is with Videl somewhere."

"Oh," Trunks said. "We can meet up with your dad later. Fishing's cool, and he wouldn't tattle on us."

Goten nodded. "But making sure Mom doesn't see us."

The speedy flight back to Trunks' house ended quickly as the two boys crept into Trunks' bedroom in search for the legendary sword. Trunks grabbed it from its perch on top of one of his numerous toy shelves and admired it for a few seconds.

~oOo~

"Awww!" Trunks complained as his mother jumped from the time capsule and landed safely next to him. "But I thought I'd gotten a brother!"

Bulma smiled and lifted a finger at him. "Don't forget," she said smiling. "You can always meet him with the time machine."

Trunks face lit up. "That's right!" he exclaimed happily.

"Trunks!"

Trunks looked up to meet the smiling face of the one he had called his brother. Tapion, the legend of the brave, smiled and threw him the sword he had from the time capsule. Trunk's eyes widened as he caught the heavy blade and fought to keep his balance.

"You're giving this to me?!" he asked in amazement and gratitude.

"Yes," Tapion replied, his bright green eyes smiling with the rest of his face; no longer haunted by the demon he had once kept trapped within. "I don't need it anymore."

Overcome with happiness, he had started jumping up and down. "Hurrah!" he exclaimed soon joined in his enthusiasm by his best friend Goten.

Tapion chuckled pleasantly. "See you again, everybody!" he said closing the hatch of the time capsule and waving farewell at the gathered group below him. He flashed into the sky and Trunks had run after him a few paces while slipping the sword across his back and looking after Tapion proudly. At last, he had a brother.

It had been little over a week when he had insisted to his mother to let him go visit Tapion in his time. A bit reluctant at first, Bulma had eventually agreed to let him go on the trip for a span of a few days. Packing some clothing, food, and of course, his new sword, he had taken flight. It hadn't taken long for him to find Tapion's ki.

"Big brother!" he exclaimed running up to a surprised Tapion. "Hi!"

"Trunks!" Tapion exclaimed picking up the running demi-Saiyan as he jumped into the air.

"How have you been?" Tapion inquired. "Is your mother well? What about the Sons and Videl?"

Trunks laughed. "They send you their greetings and best wishes."

Now it was Tapion's turn to laugh, his red Mohawk falling across his face nicely. "And you, Chibi Oniichan, have you learned how to use that sword I left you?"

"Yes!" Trunks exclaimed jumping down. "I'll show you!" Trunks took his sword from its sheath and proceeded on demonstrating his own version of swordplay.

Tapion laughed. "Not bad. You certainly have a unique… style."

Trunks stopped in mid-pace to look at Tapion wide eyed. "Huh?"

Tapion smiled and kneeled next to him. "Don't worry, Trunks," he told him gently. "I'll help you polish it in the next few days and by the time you go home, you'll be an expert swordsman."

Trunks eyes twinkled in excitement and enthusiasm. "Aha!" he said laughing.

~oOo~

"Trunks?"

Trunks was snapped out of his momentary reverie and looked at his best friend, "Right!" Trunks said throwing the sword across his back. "Let's go explore that spaceship!"

Once again managing to escape his room uncaught by his mother, Trunks led the way to where he had seen the strange spacecraft. A few minutes later, the two of them were gaping up at the threatening looking spaceship in awe.

"So…" Goten asked Trunks without taking his eyes from the alien ship. "How do we get in?"

"Umm…" Trunks said looking around. "There must be a hatch or escape door somewhere on top of it." He flew up over the vessels and looked around. He grinned at what he saw.

"Hey! Goten! You can close your mouth now, I found a way in!"

Quickly following the other's lead, Goten flew up and landed neatly on the roof of the ship. Trunks was tinkering with what looked to be a circular hatch of some sort. After a few minutes of trying, he finally managed to open it without damaging it too much.

"Ha!" Trunks exclaimed proudly looking into the dark interior of the craft. "Shall we go in?"

Goten nodded excitedly. Grinning from ear to ear, Trunks dropped himself into the spaceship and signaled for Goten to follow.

"Wow," Goten said looking around the interior of the hall they were in. "It looks big."

"Yeah," Trunks replied. "Let's check out what we find this way."

They ran around the circular hall until it came to a dead end with a door. They approached it cautiously and jumped backwards as it opened automatically to let them pass. Goten laughed and scratched his head at their foolishness as Trunks trudged on forward. The room they entered was large and full of crates. It was dimly illuminated by a few lights on the ceiling and on the walls around them.

"What is this place?" Goten asked pacing around the room.

"Looks like a storage room some sort," Trunks answered his friend. He walked around one of the piles of crates and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Goten…" he called.

Hurrying to where his friend was, Goten discovered what had caught his attention. There, inside one of the larger crates, the seven Dragonballs glowed eerily, a property they obtained when they were brought altogether.

"But…" Goten began, "why would the aliens want the Dragonballs?"

Trunks was about to answer but has cut short by feeling a heavy hand land on his shoulder.

"What have we here?" a masculine voice said. "Stowaways?"

Trunks felt his breath leave him suddenly as a cold feeling crept up from his stomach. He looked over to Goten who was in front of him and found him peering curiously at the stranger.

"Tapion …?" Goten asked doubtfully once looking into the being's face and features.

Overwhelmed with a strange sense of happiness, Trunks quickly turned to meet his captor's face. "Big brother?!" he cried smiling. His face froze in disappointment. This wasn't Tapion, though he really looked like him. His hair was lighter and not the fiery red Tapion had, not to mention he didn't have a Mohawk, but instead his entire head was covered in wild, Saiyan-like hair. It was the same species, no doubt, but not him.

"You're not Tapion!" Goten exclaimed.

The elder looked at the two of them curiously before raising a palm before him and muttering some words in a language neither of them understood.

"Hey!" Goten cried out. "Trunks! I can't move!"

Trunks tried to reach for his sword only to discover he too had been frozen were he stood.

"Damnit!" he cried out. "Goten! I'm also stuck."

"Don't try to escape it," their captor told them. "I and only I choose when to raise the spell, little demi-Saiyan."

Trunks turned to look at him in surprise. "You know what we are?!"

The other nodded. "Yes," he replied. "And you are now our prisoners."

Vegeta frowned worriedly as he increased his ki to its maximum in Super Saiyan form. Once the news of Freeza's return had sunk in, Vegeta had powered up and shot to the sky.

Freeza's return.

It was the last thing he would've thought of when Dende had so adamantly insisted that they gather at the Lookout. And now Freeza had sent someone to gather the Dragonballs, probably to gain his life-long wish of immortality. Vegeta was certain that after that was achieved Freeza would want his revenge against him and Goku. The morons that called themselves Earth's greatest defenders were too busy discussing the problem in committee to actually take some action. No, Vegeta was not going to let the ruthless bastard that had destroyed his life so many years before have a go at it again.

He had lived his life under Freeza's rule for too many years and he had also known life without anyone to tell him what to do. He preferred the latter.

~oOo~

Thirteen year-old Vegeta glared at the door in front of him. The mission had gone through perfectly, the planet wiped out of its inhabitants and ready for Freeza to do as he pleased with it. All Vegeta wanted to do now was bathe, so that he could go back to his training for the rest of the night. Instead, Freeza had sent one of his lackies to wait for his pod to land in the bigger spaceship in order to tell him that Freeza wanted to see him.

What does that bastard want now? Vegeta wondered as he lifted a hand to open the door, not even bothering to knock first. He stepped into the chambers and tossed the door closed behind him. Directly in front of him was a large window that took over the entire wall with a view to the stars. Sitting in his hover chair with his back to the door where Vegeta stood was Freeza.

"You wished to see me, Lord Freeza," said Vegeta.

"I did," Freeza replied. There was a moment of silence until Freeza's chair turned to face Vegeta. The Ice-jin, as the Glai'keel-jin were commonly referred to, regarded the Saiyan prince silently for a moment. He stood from his chair and walked back to continue his stargazing, hands clasped behind his back. "I trust the mission is completed."

"The planet was been thoroughly exterminated of all life-forms," came Vegeta's swift answer.

"All life-forms?"

Vegeta didn't reply, causing Freeza to turn his torso around to look at Vegeta expectantly.

"Yes."

Freeza turned his back yet again. "I see," he said. "Did I not tell you to leave King Seiur alive?"

Vegeta swallowed hard and crossed his arms over his chest, his resolve suddenly strengthened. "He pissed me off."

There was a hard silence once again that made Vegeta feel uncomfortable. Slowly, calmly, Freeza turned around to face Vegeta. He walked a few steps forward to stand directly in front of the young prince. Something flashed in his eyes, making Vegeta shudder in fear, though he'd be damned if he ever let the other creature know.

"I left specific orders to kill everyone except for their King," Freeza told him, "and I expected them to be followed. What am I to do with such a disobedient underling?"

Vegeta gritted his teeth. If there was anything he hated, it was being reminded that he didn't own himself. "I apologize, Lord Freeza," Vegeta said through his teeth. "I assure you it won't happen again."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't," Freeza answered.

Vegeta nodded and when Freeza didn't make a move to say anything else, turned to go. He gasped in surprise when he felt something hard wrap around his neck and pull him back. He suddenly found himself face to face with Freeza, his feet dangling in the air.

"I never said you could leave, little Monkey Prince," Freeza told him. "I'm very fond of you and I am willing to make exceptions for you. But, really Vegeta, you try my patience."

Vegeta instinctively reached up to try and loosen the tail from its death grip around his neck. If anything, he only succeeded in making Freeza tighten his hold.

"Sometimes I think Zarbon and Dodoria are right in telling me to rid of you now and save myself some trouble later."

Vegeta finally stopped his struggling and returned Freeza's glare.

"That attitude of yours is going to get you killed someday," Freeza told him. "If you value your life at all, I suggest you start doing as you are told. You are not a prince here, monkey, you are my pawn."

With that, Freeza brought his hand across Vegeta's face, making Vegeta's head snap back with the impact. His head snapped to the other side as Freeza slapped him again, followed by a punch to the stomach. Vegeta's eyes widened and he coughed blood. Freeza released him and Vegeta fell to his knees, hands on the floor to support his weight.

"That," Freeza continued, "is the proper way to greet your master."

He then proceeded to kick Vegeta in the stomach, causing Vegeta to cough blood again and fall face down on the floor. Freeza placed a clawed foot on Vegeta's back and heard a satisfying crack as several ribs broke.

"Don't let it happen again."

Freeza released him and walked back to his hover chair. He sat and turned it around to face the stars.

"Dismissed."

~oOo~

Vegeta gritted his teeth, remembering what it was like to be at the pink lizard's mercy. That had been the first time that Freeza had "taught him a lesson" for his disobedience. After that, he had spent an entire hour inside a regeneration tank, fixing three broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Of course, with the severe attitude problem and immense pride the prince had had, that one beating had not been enough to "fix him", so to speak. It had taken several more years for him to finally learn what crossing Freeza really meant, and even that had only served to make him want to destroy him even more. The only good thing about his return was that he would finally get the satisfaction of fighting him again, this time with the upper hand. He would finally get his vengeance.

"Power commands respect."

Yes, it was time to show the universe who the strongest really was.

The thought brought renewed fervor to his flight as he finally neared the Capsule Corporation. He knew now that he could not leave his family alone for too long. His old fears of having his family used against him might come true if he didn't get there first. And his gut feeling told him he just might be too late.

~oOo~

Bulma placed her hands over her hips and sighed in satisfaction. She turned a full circle around the room that would soon be her daughter's and admired her work. To the backside of the room three bookshelves were crammed full of children's tales and teddy bears. On either side of them, a pair of Victorian windows opened allowing the sun into the room as well as a beautiful view of the backyard and small pond. Beneath them, a cushioned bench that emerged from the wall was thoroughly decorated with stuffed animals and dolls. To her right, an antique wardrobe contained every imaginable attire or baby outfit Bulma had stumbled on these past few months. It also contained the first supply of diapers and baby powder as well as other first necessity items the baby would need as soon as she came home.

To her left was the baby cradle was fashioned to match the antique wardrobe. It was already dressed in pastel colors and fully equipped with her little princess' first toys. Next to it, a little night table held up a teddy bear shaped lamp and a vase that would soon contain flowers to freshen the sent in the room some more. Bulma smiled and walked to the center of the room. She placed her hand on top the rocking chair her father had given her and sighed. This was where she would soon lull her little angel into dreams. She removed her shoes and caressed the soft carpet beneath her enjoying its tickling feeling on her toes.

Lining the walls on either side of the room, toy chests and dollhouses gave the stance that happy feeling of childhood. Bulma giggled. This room almost made her wish that she was a little girl again, so she could enjoy playing with all these goodies. As a finishing touch, she had put up a few paintings illustrating scenes from famous fairy tales. Still… she though bringing a hand to her chin, it's missing something… She'd have to go check out some more stores until she found that missing something the room asked for. It had to be the perfect baby paradise.

The ringing doorbell returned her back into the world. She slipped her shoes back on and made her way back downstairs. She took a quick look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable to whoever was at the door since she wasn't expecting anyone. Satisfied with what she saw, she opened the door. Outside stood a door to door saleslady, dressed in an outfit that made her think of those illustrations she had seen in that Arabian Nights book she had gotten at the shop the other day.

"Hi, there!" the lady said smiling. "I represent the Happy Babies sales catalogue. We got your address from the store at the mall, our company is planning to move to this town soon and my boss requested of me to give you a brief introduction if you would please."

Bulma blinked a few times then smiled back at her realizing this could be the chance she had been waiting for. "Welcome! Please, come in and have a seat. Did you by any chance bring with you any samples of your merchandise?"

The sales lady nodded and took out a thick catalogue from inside her bag. "I'll be glad to show you our latest Mrs. Briefs."

"Come on in! We can talk more comfortably in the living room."

The sales lady smiled and nodded entering the Briefs residence. "Thank you, my name is Zarla Donyu, at your service."

Bulma nodded and motioned for her to seat in the couch while she sat in front of her. "The pleasure is all mine. Now, what have you got in that store Ms. Donyu?"

Bulma gasped in amazement as the other showed her page after page of baby items she had never seen before. She was completely enamored with the clothing and toy section and was trying hard to decide what not to buy.

"This is incredible!" she said happily. "I've never seen so much variety."

Zarla laughed. "You don't get much of the merchandise produced in my country here, I see."

"No," Bulma replied. "This dress is lovely! Suit for a princess, I'd say. So you're foreign, I figured as much from your accent and clothing. What made you move here?"

"Well, work mostly," Zarla replied. "My husband and I have no children so there was really nothing to tie us down back home. And we love to travel new places."

Bulma looked up from the catalogue. "You have no kids? That's funny, by how much you know about them, I'd say you have two dozen!"

The younger woman smiled and blushed slightly. "I love my job," she said. "But I'm afraid I'm barren. There's no way I can have kids."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Nonsense! With all the technology nowadays? Surely you've tried other ways?"

"We have," Zarla said sadly. "But all the doctors say the same thing, there is no way I could hold a baby in my womb and survive."

"Oh…" Bulma said. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," the other replied smiling. "I sell baby stuff and I share in the joy of all mothers to be. By the way, how long 'till the happy day?"

"Oh!" Bulma said absentmindedly caressing her large belly. "Not long now. The doctors say I'll be due in little over a month if everything goes OK."

"Let us hope so," Zarla said melancholically. "You're so lucky! I'd give anything to have a child…"

Bulma looked at the young woman's face with pity. Zarla's light green eyes were sad and nostalgic, but she quickly remembered herself and pushed her thoughts aside.

"But don't worry about it," she said pushing back her long black braid. "I feel… I don't know, I still have faith that there still is a way to make my wish come true."

"Wish!" Bulma exclaimed suddenly making the other jump slightly in surprise. "Wish! Of course! There is a way you can have your baby! Shenron!"

Zarla blinked a few times. "Shenron?"

"Yes! The Eternal Dragon! It has the power to grant you any two wishes!"

The younger woman's beautiful face changed from confusion to skeptic curiosity. "Really? How? Where can I find this Shenron?"

"Well," Bulma said standing up and motioning for the other to follow her. "You must collect the seven Dragonballs and the summon Shenron with a spell."

"Spell?" Zarla said raising a confused eyebrow.

"Hey," Bulma said raising a finger to her. "Don't look so grim. It's an easy spell. All you have to say is 'Shenron! Come forth and grant my wish' nothing big, see?"

Zarla smiled. "That's it?"

"Yes," Bulma replied. "After that, you ask Shenron for your wishes."

"Well then— "

"Bulma!"

Vegeta's urgent voice echoed throughout the house, making the two women turn in its direction. A few moments later, the Saiyan himself ran into the living room and froze.

"You! It was you all along!" he yelled, pointing a finger at Zarla.

"Vegeta, what has gotten into you?!" Bulma exclaimed.

Vegeta took a step forwards, his eyes fixed on the younger of the two like a hawk. "Bulma, get away from her. She is not what she seems. Where's Trunks?"

"He's in his— "

Bulma stopped surprised when she felt Zarla grab her wrist tightly. "Hello, Vegeta," she said. "It has been a while."

Vegeta clenched his fists. "Let go of her if you want to live," he snarled.

Zarla sneered. "Try it and she dies," she threatened. "I'm afraid my masters have other plans for her. I'll be seeing you, little prince."

Coran! Get us out of here! Dalia thought desperately waking the psychic connection with her partner. Vegeta charged at her, but before he could reach them, they began to disappear. He watched in horror as his wife's ki disappeared from the house. He expanded his mind and discovered Trunks' ki was missing too. Expanding even further, he felt the two ki of his loved ones together as well as two from his past and… Kakarot's youngest kid? He swore and burst out of the house after them.


	5. Ghosts From the Past

The beeping sounds of the control panel and the soft purr of the ship engines did nothing to lull Vegeta. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he restlessly pushed buttons on the panel, swiveling his chair back to the radar every few seconds as he tried to track the ship that held his wife and her kidnappers. He scowled at the mechanism when it winked out for several seconds before turning back on. It figured that the damn humans would foul up such a sophisticated piece of machinery. The beeping lights resumed again and he pressed a few keys to bring out a more detailed version of the radar.

He wasn't too far behind from the other ship. Maybe around an hour, he estimated. It might have been a closer trail, but of course, the technologically impaired humans who had constructed the vessel had not done their job fully right: his craft was slower than the other one. Not only had they gotten a head start, but they also had the faster ship.

The second he had seen Dalia disappear with Bulma, Vegeta had stormed out of the house muttering curses in every language he knew. He knew immediately that they would be taken off-planet, so he headed straight for the backyard of the house, where Dr. Briefs was tinkering with the Capsule Corporation spaceship. An ever-oblivious Mrs. Briefs had encountered him on the way with a plate of cookies and a giddy smile. Vegeta had growled at her to get out of the way and had yelled for Dr. Briefs to either get off the ship or strap in for a ride. Startled, Dr. Briefs had blinked in surprise for several moments before snapping to attention and getting off the ship in record time. Whatever it was that Vegeta had planned, the look on his face indicated that he wanted no interference. Vegeta had wasted no time in powering up the ship and lifting off.

He couldn't believe how foolish he had been, flying off to meet with Kakarot's stupid friends and leaving his family alone. What had the morons been thinking, knowing that two of their greatest foes were out there and not doing anything about it? He had a level of respect of Piccolo and Kaio-shin, and as protector of Earth, he had expected Dende to do a better job. Instead Vegeta was now stuck on a wild goose chase.

If you want something done, thought Vegeta as he studied the radar readout, do it your fucking self.

Had Bulma's hormones also taken over her brain? He swore that when he found her, he would give her the tongue-lashing of her life. Not only had she put herself in danger by letting a stranger into the house, but she had put their daughter in danger as well. The stupid woman had let an enemy into the house and probably supplied her with useful information, before going and getting herself kidnapped. If this had happened several years before, he would've gladly left her to her fate, but he found that for some unknown reason within him, he could not bring himself to do that now. Damn fool woman, he thought. She's gotten under my skin. This was a main reason he hated getting himself attached to people: he knew his enemies would use it against him as they were doing now.

And he hated the feeling of desperation running through him now. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that Freeza wanted with them.

Whatever it was, he was certain of one thing: he was going to use them to get to him. He knew first hand what Freeza was capable of and he shuddered as different scenarios flashed through his head unwittingly. No, he wasn't going to let that happen. With gritted teeth, Vegeta keyed in the thrusters of the ship, urging it to go to its maximum speed, which actually wasn't that much more than before.

"Stupid piece of junk," Vegeta muttered angrily.

Through the radar, the dot representing the other ship was swiftly getting farther and farther away.

~oOo~

Dalia's fingers flew over the control panel as she urged the spacecraft to fasten its pace. She had arrived with the woman, Bulma, and had been greeted by Coran and his handful of unexpected prisoners. Knowing they had no time to spare, she had left the hostages for Coran to deal with and had stormed into the cockpit for a fast take-off. With the corner of her eye, she checked the radar and the ever-blinking red dot that had been following them since little after their departure from Earth. At what seemed to be like at an agonizingly slow pace, they put more and more distance between it. Still, she didn't know how long Vegeta would follow so she couldn't go anywhere yet. Quickly deciding to lead him aimlessly around space, she changed the original coordinates from the navigation computer. The door that led into the cockpit opened behind her with a hiss and she sensed Coran's ki enter.

"You brought the Dragonballs from down there right?" she asked him without taking her eyes of the computer board.

"Right here," Coran replied setting a box containing all seven balls next to her. "I've got the two little ones in their own individual energy cubes and the woman in one of the cells."

Dalia nodded. "You've got a strong spell holding the two demi-Saiyans, right?"

"Yes. It should hold them."

Dalia sighed in relief. "Good," she said. "I wouldn't want to deal with two runaway super Saiyans."

Coran opened his mouth and closed it again. "They can transform?" he asked finally.

Dalia took her eyes off the computer and fixed a hard glare on him, "Of course they can! The capture spell will withstand a transformation, right?" Before he could answer, she closed her eyes and stretched with her mind to feel for the young Saiyans' ki. Both of them were ascending at incredible speed, undoubtedly a power up. She snapped her eyes open oblivious to whatever Coran was telling her.

"Goddamnit!" she cursed angrily and ran towards the door. "Take over the controls for a bit. The two kids are about to blast their way out of your little cells. I'll let you know when to come down."

She stormed out before Coran could reply and ran down to the storage room. The sight that greeted her wasn't a pretty one. Both kids were screaming as their power skyrocketed enough for their bodies to change. She could see their hair stand up on end and flash a bright yellow. Dalia bit her lower lip and powered up just as Coran's magical prison blasted out of existence and all the boxes that had been surrounding them flew in every possible direction. She raised her ki to shield herself from the projectiles and looked up to find the two Saiyans young flying towards her.

"Shit…" she cursed softly and sent a ki blast at them strong enough to throw them back the way they had come.

Goten and Trunks landed on their feet, startled slightly. They looked at their new foe and reformed themselves into battle stance. This now blue-skinned woman had brought Bulma with her, in what obviously looked to be against her will, and had ordered for them to be kept captive, an idea neither of them found appealing.

"Goten," Trunks told his friend. "She feels about as strong as Krillin's wife. If we attack her together we shouldn't have any sort of problems."

"Yes!" Goten replied and waited for his friend to give out the word.

"Now!" Trunks yelled and flew at her with Goten at his side. Just as they were about to reach her, she jumped out of the way and landed behind them. Trunks felt a hard kick on his back that sent him flying into the far wall and looked up to see Goten crash in the opposite direction.

"Damn…" he muttered standing up and glaring at his attacker. "That's no way to treat us. Goten!"

"Yeah?" Goten answered standing up while rubbing the back of his head with the palm of his hand.

Trunks smirked, resembling his father strongly. "Obviously she has no idea who she's dealing with. Fusion Dance!"

"Yeah!" Goten replied and flew towards Trunks.

Dalia narrowed her eyes and prepared herself for the attack that never came. Instead, the two boys landed a few feet from each other. The purple-haired one pointed both his hands to his right while the black-haired one mirrored him.

"Fu…"

What are they doing? Dalia thought as the two boys took three funny-looking steps towards each other while circling their hands over their heads to the direction opposite they had them originally. Now they were maybe a foot away from each other.

"…sion…"

Wait a minute… This suddenly looked familiar. Where had she seen it done before? Now both boys snapped their arms back the way they had come and brought up their knee to form and angle opposite to their arms. "…ha!"  
They leaned towards one another and touched their index fingers together with a bright flash of light.

Shit… She blinked in surprise to the sudden light then saw a new figure standing where the two boys had been. Dalia narrowed her eyes again as she felt the storm of a ki it was projecting. Now she was in trouble. Arms on his hips and a mane of wild golden hair over his head, Gotenks smirked at Dalia mischievously. He brought a hand up to his chin as he examined her.  
"Oh ho! No problem," a combination of Trunks' and Goten's voice said. "Gotenks will teach you how to play fair." With that he flew in her direction so fast that Dalia barely had enough time to bring her guard back up before she felt a hard punch that sent her he flying backwards into the wall. Before she reached it, the new boy appeared behind her and bounced her in the opposite direction making her crash into a pile of boxes.

She cursed angrily as she pushed some of the crates off her and stood to look at Gotenks. The super fusion stood sideways looking at her, self-conscious smirk still plastered on his face.

"What's the matter?" he asked mockingly. "Little girl doesn't want to play anymore?"

Dalia pushed some hair off her face and glared at him. Coran…she thought. We have a serious problem.

What's wrong? Coran's voice came into her head.

The little bastards fused! They're impossibly strong and I'm not going to risk transforming in here.

There was a silence before Coran replied. Fusions don't last too long. I suggest you get out of there unless you want to get beat up. I'll seal them in the cargo hold while they separate.

Fine… Dalia replied and readied herself to speed out of the room.

"Hey!" Gotenks called at her. "I'm getting tired of waiting for you to move. My turn again!"

He flew rapidly at her, but this time she was ready and jumped out of the way just in time.

"Aha!" Gotenks said. "You're pretty fast, for a girl. Here I come again!"

Dalia dodged his attack again and flew to the opposite side of the room. Slightly annoyed at having missed her twice now, Gotenks flew after her. Dalia kept using her speed to her advantage and avoided his blows, flashing out of sight just before he reached her.

"So you don't want to stand still?" Gotenks asked her landing across the room. "Fine! I'll have to take you from all sides then!" Gotenks crossed his arms in front of him and powered up some more. "Super Ghost Kami Kaze Attack!"

Dalia looked in a twisted sense of surprise as the super fusion started blowing what looked at first to be a bubble gum balloon. It grew and then separated from him followed by another five just like the first. To her shock, each of the little balloons grew hands and a head to form a ghostly replica of the boy before her.

"Boo!" the first one to be born said smirking. "I'm a scary ghost!"

Dalia blinked a few times dumbfounded as the lot of ghostly figures began to laugh, twirl, and try hard to act scary.

"There's no escape now. I win," Gotenks told her. "OK, ghosts! Line up now!"

Dalia wasn't sure how to react as the little ghost lined up as ordered by Gotenks, but arguing on whom went first and personal space. She watched on in awe. What the hell is this?

"No talking in line!" Gotenks told them. "Stop complaining and get ready."

"Yes, sir!" they all replied. Some of them giggled while others simply grinned. This was really starting to creep her out. What kind of attack was this?

Dalia… It was Coran. I'm by the door. Get out and I'll seal the entire area.

Dalia nodded and levitated herself from the ground preparing the fly out the moment the other tried anything.

"OK!" Gotenks said. "Surround her now!"

Before she could think, six little ghosts were flying in her direction. She flashed to her right narrowly missing one whom, with her out of the way, accidentally crashed into the one coming from her left. The explosion almost knocked her out of control as she suddenly realized what the ghosts did. Shit! The little bastards blow up on contact!

"Baka!" she heard Gotenks say. "Crash into her, not each other!"

Too late, she thought and sprinted towards the door. It opened before her and she heard a satisfying whoosh as it closed behind.

"Hey!" Gotenks cried in surprised. "I wasn't finished with you! Come back! Don't be a chicken!"

"Hurry up and seal him in. He's a little bundle of trouble," Dalia told Coran as she circled back and landed next to him. Coran nodded and shut his eyes while chanting the spell that would contain the super fusion. He stood back and waited to see if the spell worked.

"Hey!" they heard Gotenks call from the inside while pounding on the door. "Let me out now or I'll really get nasty!"

Dalia looked at Coran questioningly. "It's OK," he told her finally. "He can scream all he wants, he won't get out no matter what mess he makes of the place."

A loud explosion from within and the violent rocking of the spaceship confirmed Coran's words.

Dalia blinked and struggled to maintain her balance.

"He won't get out," Coran told her again. Dalia nodded and motioned for him to follow her back into the cockpit. Mini earthquakes shook the ship every so often as Gotenks still struggled to blast his way out of cargo hold. A sudden beeping sound from the main computer as they entered the cockpit made them turn.

Dalia exhaled sharply as she read the read-outs in the screen. "Damn…" she said softly, "That little son of a bitch just BLASTED THE HYPER DRIVE!"

Coran blinked a few times. "You're kidding, right?"

As if to confirm her words, the ship suddenly slowed down enough to be detected by the two of them. Dalia inhaled deeply and considered their options. "We'll have to land somewhere to make repairs," she said finally. "And when we do, I'm going to personally crush that little demon!"

"There's a star system not far from here with a moon on one of the planets that has a breathable atmosphere," he told her from another computer. "We'll land there."

"And Vegeta?"

"He's about two hours behind," Coran said. "It'll take around twenty minutes to get there at present speed, and hopefully less than the remaining time to repair whatever damage the kids did the hyper drive. By then I think the fusion will also be over."

Dalia released her breath slowly, "OK," she said. "Let's do that. We'll have to be quick about it." And hope the ship holds together…

~oOo~

The stars had long since become a blur through the view port of the medium-sized ship. Arms strewn across his stomach, the creature leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, hoping that he would finally get some rest. It seemed like every time he tried to relax, the entire scene flashed before his eyes. He saw the two figures emerging from the portal, their cold faces twisted into what they called a smile. He shivered in horror and snapped his eyes open.

Tonight was no exception.

Or maybe it was day. He had long ago lost track of time, seconds fading into minutes and minutes fading into hours, so that he no longer knew the difference. All he did know was that he was away from them. He had finally escaped the nightmarish existence that was their presence.

He still wasn't sure how that had happened. His thoughts were muddled from the excitement of his departure. It was a miracle in itself that he had even managed to reach such a good ship and a miracle that he had calmed down long enough to work the controls and figure an escape route. After he had been sure he was far away from his captors, he had wracked his brain for a safe port before finally deciding on a destination.

Earth.

Their enemies were in Earth. The warriors from said planet had obviously wounded his captors to such an extent that they had opted for such lengths to gain revenge. They were the key now. Surely they would help him rid of the universe's tyrants. They would help him fix his folly, the folly he had been forced to commit… but his folly, nonetheless. It was his fault that they had been brought back. It was him who had allowed them back into this world. Whether he had been a willing participant or not, it was he who was responsible.

He closed his eyes again and sighed in defeat. He allowed the images to flood back one by one, images of an irrevocable past, as well as those from the present and those from a possible future.

"I will not allow it," he told himself softly.

The past was gone and there was nothing that he could do about that. What had been done was unchangeable, except through complex magic that he was not willing to try. No, it was time to do something for the future.

"I will not allow it," he said, this time more forcefully.

The images flashed in his mind at a more rapid pace. He couldn't seem to control them as they sped by, no longer being able to distinguish one from another. Just as he thought he would border the brink of an even greater madness, a beeping noise interrupted the process. His eyes snapped open and he looked wildly around. A blinking red light from the control panel caught his attention, causing him to lean toward it.

He was finally there. He looked out the view port as the ship slowed down and his destination came into sight. The blue and white sphere seemed small from where he was, but it was beautiful. His eyes lit up in wonder as he absorbed the scenery. He couldn't wait to get down there.

He stood to stretch his cramped muscles and glanced down at his appearance. His bruised body was covered with the remains of his tattered, bloody clothes. A thin layer of sweat covered his skin, and even though he was used to it, he could still smell his own stench in the ship. The Earthlings would not be impressed, he knew, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

First and foremost on his list was to find his allies. Then—then he could finally destroy his enemies. He could finally fix what he had been forced to do.

~oOo~

On the outer rim of the Glai'keel-sei star system, three gas giants quarreled like thunder and lightning over which had the bigger claims of space. Since its orbits were so close together, many of their moons had been shredded by the incredible battle of gravitational forces creating an asteroid belt that circled around them. Still, many other moons survived adding their own spice to the chaotic mixture. Amongst this inferno of power, the Glai'keel-jin royalty had found their training ground. Centuries past, they had chosen the more out-of-the-way section of the region, but as the thirst for power of their rulers increased, ventures closer to the deadly orbits had been made. Needless to say, both Koola and Freeza had been trained by their father in the very core of the turmoil. The spaceship they were in would be left to stand near by while they finished the trek alone, for it would not withstand the immense pull.

They now stood watching from a distance feeling a sense of anticipation to once again exercise in the ancient training ground after such a long time. It was here where they had first truly felt what power meant, where their father kept pushing them beyond their limits, sometimes almost in a matter of life and death when his own power kept growing beyond what either of them thought possible.

Life and death.

Freeza's lips curled slightly at the thought. This had been a lesson he had learned at a very young age. One that he figured his brother had too as had their father before them. Bittersweet thoughts strolled down memory's lane.

Young.

Yes, he had been young. But every child had to grow up someday.

~oOo~

Koola sat in King Kold's throne listening to the same rambling his father had to put up with day after day and thanking the gods that this was only for a few days. He had just finished with the latest load of paper work on the sale of recently acquired planets and had been planning on taking the rest of the day off when his duties as heir prince had kicked in to ruin his plans. Mind trailing from whatever it was his aids were telling him, he looked sideways to see what his little brother was up to.

Freeza was bored.

He'd spend the last hour running around him interrupting the meeting or sneaking up behind the glass throne to try and scare him. Koola smiled thinking of what his father had to put up with when he had been younger. Now little Freeza sat on the steps next to the throne mimicking his every move and gesture. To confirm this, he brought a leg up and smiled amused when he saw the little Glai'keel-jin do so as well.

He put his leg down.

Freeza did the same.

Glai'keel-jin children were rather different from adults. They still hadn't developed the distinctive color on the gem that crowned their heads and parts of their bodies having mostly pale colored skin they had evolved with to camouflage in their white surrounding. Freeza was snow white from head to toe. His ember eyes were framed by a slight bony crest and two thin, pale blue lines that fell from just beneath them, to under his chin which, Koola figured, would someday develop into a distinguishing feature on the young prince. Besides this, his other outstanding feature was the two little onyx stubs that would eventually grow into horn emerging form his skull and his dark, well-formed lips.

"...Sire? Are you listening?"

Snapped back to attention, Koola turned a hard glare of his father's adviser. "My hearing is just fine, Tima. It will be a long time before it starts to fail me."

The other took a step back and nodded. "Forgive me, my prince," he said apologetically. "My mistake. Would you please come with me to see the…"

Blah...blah...blah...

Koola stood before his elder could finish and walked to the see the papers the other was referring too. Freeza watched his brother walk away and frowned now that his game had been abruptly cut short. Looking around, he saw that none of his caretakers were within sight and every one else in the room was busy seeing what the older prince was up too; besides that, a few royal guards. Thinking of something else to do, Freeza caught sight of the newly abandoned throne. He grinned. His father never let him seat in it since he was always using it and the few times he wasn't Koola took his place. But now, it was alone and as far as he was concerned, he too was heir prince and had every right to enjoy the big, fancy chair.

He jumped in it, dwarfed by its size, and took the position he usually saw his father use: tail hanging though one side, cold glare at all his underlings. One of the guards surrounding the throne chuckled making Freeza turn to him with newfound interest.

Koola watched the figures scroll down the screen and considered the financial options they had regarding this particular planet. He was about to ask something when he heard a startled scream from behind him. Rapidly turning to see what all the fuss was about, he spotted the guards walking backwards away from the throne with a look of horror on their faces. He looked up to the throne to see Freeza grinning from ear to ear while holding up a finger with a golf ball-sized red ki ball floating above it.

"Freeza!" Koola exclaimed in a mixture of anger and surprise.

Freeza looked up, caught off guard by his brother and loosing control of the energy ball making it fly forwards. Numerous shouts emerged from the gathered crowed as the little sphere of destruction sizzled on. Koola clenched his jaw and moved to intercept it before it hit the far wall bouncing it to crash through the nearest glass window and explode loudly somewhere in the snow-capped mountains outside.

The room went deadly quiet as everyone looked back and forth between the two young ouji. A little, wide-eyed Freeza stood up from the throne knowing he had done something wrong and bounce to the bottom steps, hands sheepishly behind his back.

Koola's stare was cold making Freeza shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. He knew he wasn't to try any kind of ki experimenting indoors without supervision, but the thought had conveniently slipped.

"When… When's Papa coming back?" he asked shyly trying to divert his brother's anger to happier days when he'd be off the hook of running the planet.

"In a few days," Koola replied icily.

Freeza looked down. "Sorry," he muttered.

Koola turned his sharp glare from his brother to the aide that had been annoying him most. "Tami," he stated. "The young prince is bored and in need of entertainment. Go play with him while I finish reviewing state affairs."

Freeza's eyes widened at being let off the hook while the adviser's widened, but in terror.

"But sire," he protested, "I was assigned to advise you, and besides, the chances of surviving playing with your brother are—"

"A lot higher than disobeying my direct order," Koola finished for him coldly.

Tami swallowed hard and looked at the young Glai'keel-jin worriedly. "Perhaps your majesty would prefer to play with someone closer to thy age?"

"Sure," Koola said. "I'm sure you'd love to baby-sit one or more of the noble's children while they play. Freeza wouldn't mind the least bit sharing with others his species and age."

The aide went deadly pale. "On second thoughts, young Lord Freeza, I'd love to accompany you to the play room…" He ran after the young prince that was already half way there.

"Brother?"

Koola took a sip out of the red wine he was drinking and looked away from the sight on the window to look down at his brother. "Yes, Freeza?"

"What's that you and Papa are always drinking?"

Koola looked down at Freeza curiously and wondered idly if he had asked his father similar questions. He swirled the deep red liquid in his goblet and handed it to Freeza for him to see.

"It's wine," he answered. "A drink that comes from a fruit after it has been fermented."

Freeza took the cup and swirled its contents like his brother had done before bringing it to his lips and taking a long drink.

"Watch it," Koola told him. "Too much of it will give you a killer headache."

Freeza narrowed his eyes suddenly and briskly removed the cup from his dark lips making a face of disgust. "It's bitter!"

Koola couldn't help but smile amused. "No one told you to take such a long sip, little brother."

"But you do," he countered. "How can you drink that? It's awful."

"You'll learn to like it," he replied taking the chalice back and resuming his drinking while putting his free hand behind is back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Freeza doing the same.

"Brother?"

"Yes?"

"Why'd Papa leave in such a big hurry yesterday?"

"There was a problem with one of the sales."

"Oh… So that's why you're stuck ruling the planet?"

"It's my duty as heir prince, as it will someday be yours," Koola replied.

"But aren't you too young?" Freeza asked confused.

"My age matters not, only my preparation."

"But I heard some guy say that it did not do the Empire well to have let an adolescent—"

"Who said that?!" Koola exclaimed making Freeza jump back startled.

"Some guy…" he replied. "One of the speakers at court…"

Koola's eyes darkened as he smirked. "Adolescent? Someone needs a talking to…"

Freeza looked up at his older brother. He sure would have hated to have him look at him like that. He turned to look at his reflection on the clear window glass and traced his outline with a pale finger. There were many things about his father and brother he didn't understand, but he figured that someday he would.

Things started going in disarray that night. Koola hadn't joined him for dinner, which had been strange, but what was worse was that a lot of people had been going in and out of his room and that never happened. To top it all of, dinner hadn't agreed with him and he felt a sharp pain in his stomach from time to time.

The following morning, he had woken up to chaos.

The entire palace was in frenzy, and once again, Koola wasn't in the dinning hall. Wondering what was happening with his brother, he managed to escape his distracted nannies and entered Koola's room.

His jaw dropped.

Koola looked a pale gray instead of his normal shade of purple. His eyes were shut, but his entire body trembled. A cloud of the royal doctors and nurses surrounded his bed, writing on pads, giving orders or checking things.

"…Brother?" Freeza walked past the doctors and up to his brother's bedside. He placed a tiny white hand on his forehead and felt it cold as the planet they lived in. His eyes widened. "Brother!" he screamed finally gaining the attention of the doctors around him.

"Lord Freeza," one of them who appeared to be in charge said. "Your brother is ill, and until we know what harms him, it is best you stay away."

"No!" he screamed forming a death grip with his arms around the metal posts on the bed.

The alien doctor bit his lower lip. "Do not worry yourself, young prince. We have sent a message to your father. He should be arriving later today."

"Papa…" Freeza muttered. "I shall wait for him here," he said standing up straight and taking the regal stance he had seen his two elders do so often.

"For you safety…"

"I will not leave my brother!"

The chief doctor clenched his jaw but nodded. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

The hours crawled by like years during the time Freeza waited for his father to arrive or for his brother to get better. But if anything, Koola only got worse. Adding to his burdens, breakfast also seemed to have gone bad as the sharp pains in his stomach came more often and intense. Finally, just as the sun was setting, King Kold stormed into the room trailed by half a dozen nurses and aids.

"I said out! All of you!" he thundered turning to them. Cowering in fear, they all left without a word. The only ones still left in the room were himself, his father, and the head doctor. King Kold sighed in exasperation and walked to stand by his eldest son's bed.

"Tell me Doctor Haidi," he said, "What is wrong with my son?"

The good doctor walked up to his king slowly, "I'm afraid, my lord, that the prince has been poisoned."

"What!" King Kold's face twisted in anger.

"We ran some tests and discovered he had drunk it in. It's a virus that isolates itself in the stomach and starts to eat the organs inside out."

King Kold tightened his jaw. "Can't you give him an antidote?"

"We tried, sire. But there is no antidote known," Doctor Haidi replied. "This virus is DNA specific. It was designed for you, in your sudden absence; your son was the victim instead. We haven't even found a proper sample for tests. I'm afraid we cannot do anything for him."

Freeza peeked out from behind the metal post to look at his father. His expression was unreadable of anger and something else as well. His fists were closed tightly and he spied a small stream of oozing, dark red fluid streak through the sides of his palm.

"Papa…" Freeza said walking out from behind his post.

King Kold looked up to contemplate his younger son. A sudden explosion made him turn his eyes to the window. Outside, fire could be seen amongst the snow, as well as hundreds of men running towards the palace. Freeza saw his father's face darken dangerously.

"A rebellion of planet workers…" he muttered. "None of our enemies know where we are."

The doctor turned to him. "My lord?"

Without another word, King Kold turned and exited the room. Freeza walked towards the window to see the ongoing events outside. Buildings were blowing up in the main city at a distance.

"What's going on?" he asked the good doctor who had come to stand by him.

"I… I'm not sure…"

Next he knew King Kold floated before the mob. At sight of him, the multi-cultural crowd began to disperse itself in different directions. His father's ki began to grow, and soon, an energy wave flashed from him consuming every single one of the thousands gathered.

"Papa…" Freeza muttered. He was so strong.

Some minutes later, King Kold returned. "Damn it, Koola!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Fight it! Death is for the weak! Not this way!"

Freeza looked down of his brother's death colored face. He suddenly felt something inside him burn madly. He placed a small ivory hand over his stomach trying hard to be strong before his father. But the pain worsened.

"Lord Freeza…?" Doctor Haidi's voice sounded distant. He tried to focus his ruby eyes on him, but the pain didn't let him.

"Sire!" the doctor called out running to Freeza and catching him as he collapsed. After that, everything was a river of nonsense and pain as he fell into darkness.

King Kold stood by his sons as the doctor ran the analysis on Freeza, a thousand thoughts running through his head at once.

"My King," the doctor said finally. "Lord Freeza too is acting under the influence of poison."

King Kold's jaw tightened. This couldn't be happening. "They're heirs… MY heirs! Save them!"

"Sire…"

"If you value your life and that of your species, do as you are commanded!" King Kold snarled. "For the moment my sons breathe their last, so will you and every other member of your kind."

Doctor Haidi looked around in desperation as King Kold turned from him to gaze out the window at the dark night beyond.

The Glai'keel-jin king sighed. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. Two sons, two heirs, both on the edge of death, hanging to life by a mere thread. The Glai'keel-jin were commonly known to have only one child. This was thought to be because of the hard conditions of the planet and their eternal battle against over population. Since offspring was rare, natives were few and born nobles to be served by other species imported. That he had two children had been nothing short of a miracle believed to be because he was a god. Why else would he be granted a surviving second child? Two heirs to ensure his legacy, and now the two on the brink of death… His sons…

He bit his tongue hard.

Poison.

It was like a flashback from his youth when his own father had died a similar way. Since then, he had vowed to crush the enemies of his species extending their already large empire by two hundred percent. When Koola had hatched, his intentions had been reaffirmed. A son to continue his work once he was gone. Then came Freeza, unexpected by all, and surviving, laughing at Death and Destiny who fought to claim him while he was in his egg and for a time afterwards. He lived and grew, strong and healthy. Nothing else could be expected of his child and a prince.

Two heirs that would grow into warrior ouji to fight for him after he was gone; but now, all was lost. The Glai'keel-jin only reproduced once…he had no chance whatsoever of having another child. The bastards that had planned this had succeeded. He had survived, but his bloodline had been cut short. After the hell he'd been through to ensure…

"Pa…pa…"

King Kold turned around rapidly to face his younger child. Freeza had opened his eyes and looked at him as if from far away. The fire in his red eyes looked to be flickering out of existence as the deathly yellow-green color had taken over his doll-like face.

"Freeza," he said. "Do not speak…"

"Do not… worry," the little prince said struggling and finally sitting up only to collapse on his own little hands for support. "I'll… fight. I'll be… your…warrior…"

King Kold's eyes widened. The Glai'keel-jin were said to have a psychic connection with that closest to them at their hour of death. He had a similar experience with his own father, now Freeza was…

The little Glai'keel-jin's eyes widened as his entire body convulsed violently.

"Doctor!" King Kold roared running to his son's side. The door slammed opened and half a dozen nurses ran into the room and in their nervousness prevented the chief doctor from reaching his patient's side. King Kold snarled and blasted the lot out of the way for the doctor to reach him.

"He's…" Doctor Haidi said reaching the bed and holding Freeza's small torso up straight and keeping his head from falling back. Freeza opened his mouth and heaved in air. He then convulsed and vomited a dark red substance onto the floor. The process was repeated a few times until the youth collapsed in the doctor's arms unconscious.

"Is he…" King Kold started, almost fearful of knowing.

"No," the other replied setting the young prince back down on his bed. He then ran out of the room and returned holding a test tube and picking up some of the vomit in it.

"This," he told his king. "This may be what will save both your sons." He smiled before exiting the room again. "Looks like little Lord Freeza still refuses to let go."

King Kold looked down at his youngest son curiously. Yes, he had laughed at the face of Death twice now. It looked like he refused to die.

The tests had run into the night, but eventually a way had been found to reverse the virus isolated in the poison. The two of them proved to be poisoned by wine and after a throughout search, the bottle had been found. King Kold ordered it to be analyzed for fingerprints and any sort of DNA. Later, that same virus mutated had been inserted in the water system of the home planet of the species found guilty as well as other mayor worlds. It was a selective blight, and would only affect those intended causing their extinction.

An antidote had been given to both princes. It would reverse the effects of the virus. Instead of destroying the insides, it would heal them. Having expulsed most of it, Freeza healed first. It took Koola many weeks to fully recuperate.

Now Freeza stood by his brother's bed watching the color return to his face slowly. He pondered on the hard lesson learned. He had done nothing to deserve what he had gotten, but no exception had been made. It was a cold and cruel universe out there and he had to wise up to survive in it. Kill or be killed. Mercy is for the weak at heart; watch your own back, because no one else will. Take what you want before someone else does and do anything to achieve it. Have no feelings. Feelings meant weakness and this could be exploited by others later on. Defend your honor and pride. Any one that faulted it had to pay. And mostly, gain power. With it, everyone else would be at your feet.

~oOo~

Freeza walked away from the window and his brother's side to seat himself in his thrown. Serving himself a goblet of wine, he twirled its dark content absentmindedly before sipping it. His species was dark-hearted by nature, warriors and fighters for a reason. The Glai'keel-jin…the Ice-jin, now he knew why. Not just for their frozen world, but for the coldness that was brewed inside their hearts.

~oOo~

The world increased size the closer he got to it, his narrow eyes taking in the sight in wonder. He had seen many different planets in his time and perhaps about a quarter of them were more beautiful than the one before him. To him, though, it seemed he had reached Heaven itself. He could now make out several of the landmasses that made up the continents of the sphere referred to Earth by its natives, surrounded by large bodies of water. It was a beautiful sight indeed.

Not even bothering to choke down the excitement, he sat forward on his chair by the ship's controls and reached out with his mind. He concentrated hard, trying to use the least of his last reserves of energy. The fact that if he were to spend everything he had here, he'd never get to his goal alive and all his efforts would be for nothing was not too far back into his troubled mind. The people he had come to meet were incredibly powerful, he knew, and would have noticeable ki.

He frowned when he could distinguish no outstanding ki in a heap of billions.

That's impossible, he thought as his heartbeat increased several pulsations. Is it possible I've reached the wrong planet?

He switched on the computer and revised the readouts. The information on the screen was exactly the one he had been searching for, its history perfect down to every last detail. He bit his bottom lip and glanced back at the planet. It had to be the one, he was certain of it.

Maybe they've left… was his next uncomfortable thought.

Rather than extending his power further and risk wasting any more precious life energy, he powered down as much as he could and began to set up for a landing. Hopefully, the fighters were there and would come to him when he got there.

Too much was riding on this. He could not afford to leave empty-handed.

He took a cleansing breath and glanced down at the landing controls. He had an idea of how to land, for he had piloted many ships before and there was a basic design and science behind any landing gear. It wasn't too hard to ready the ship for its landing, as the ship was in excellent condition. That in itself was a tremendous relief; the ship had been stolen from a repair-landing pad and he hadn't been sure if it was completely functioning.

A beeping sound interrupted his thoughts and he turned back to the navigational computer, which was inquiring for landing coordinates. The creature pursed his lips in thought, wondering which side of the planet his would-be allies could be found on or even if they were on the planet at all. In a split second decision, he keyed in selected coordinates on the eastern hemisphere of the planet, being careful not to choose coordinates for a body of water.

Sighing with exhaustion, he leaned back in his chair and waited until his piloting would be needed again.

~oOo~

"What do you mean, 'we wait'?!" Krillin exclaimed. "You're just gonna let those monsters roam free like that?"

"Of course not," Kaio-shin said defensively. They were still gathered around the Lookout and they had done nothing more than talk in circles. It was not unexpected, Kaio-shin realized. It wasn't every day that two of the most powerful beings came back from the dead to take over the universe. To say they were bordering on panic would be the understatement of the century. "I want them both back where they belong just as much as all of you do. But we don't have all the facts. We don't know how to open the portal, or even where they are."

"But you're the Supreme Kai," Yamcha spoke up. "Shouldn't you be able to tell where they are?"

Kaio-shin closed his eyes and sighed. The fact that he was a deity didn't mean that he could solve every problem himself. If he could, the universe would have been a much safer place and monsters like the Ice-jin would have never been allowed to surface. "I do the best I can, but I cannot keep tabs on everyone all the time. The universe is infinitely large, after all…"

"But I can't just sit back and wait like this," Goku said clenching his fists at his inevitable helplessness. There was something in his blood calling to him, what he had learned was his Saiyan heritage demanding violence, and it couldn't be curbed. He understood how Vegeta probably felt. "There must be something I can do to help…"

"There is," Dende told him. "We can start by finding whoever took the Dragonballs. If they're still on Earth…"

"Somehow I doubt that," Gohan interrupted. "If they're working for Freeza and Koola, they're long gone by now."

"We could try following their ki," Tenshinhan suggested. "They couldn't be too far away."

"You'd be surprised," Piccolo replied, "at how fast those ships tend to go."

"Damnit," cursed Goku with clenched teeth. "There has to be something we can do to stop them!"

Videl was standing next to Gohan uncomfortably. She still had no idea who these two creatures they were talking about were, but if they were making the strongest fighters in the universe nervous, it was definitely enough to make her nervous as well. She glanced at her new husband and placed a hand on his shoulder as she attempted to process the information. Yamcha's voice drew her out of her reverie.

"Bulma!" Yamcha said. "She's great with all this technology stuff. Maybe she can provide radar or something that we could use to track any ship they might have taken. I mean, no matter how fast the ship, they're not gonna get to their destination in a matter of hours. Right?"

"Perhaps," said Kaio-shin. "I suppose there is no harm in trying…"

"Great!" Yamcha cried. "C'mon, Puaru. We're going to Capsule Corp."

Before anyone could say anything, Yamcha grabbed Puaru and took off.

Everyone looked after them for a moment before turning back to Kaio-shin, who was still staring at the sky pensively. "…but I wouldn't get my hopes up too high."

~oOo~

The beeping sounds on the computers brought his attention back to the landing controls. Immediately, he snapped forward and grabbed the landing controls, keying in a few commands and checking to make sure everything was in order.

It wasn't.

The truth about why the ship had been in the repair-landing pad hit him in the face like a splash of cold water. It seemed that the landing gear had somehow been damaged and was stuck inside its resting place. With a panicked cry, he tried the controls again, earning himself an immediate protest from the ship. He didn't have time to further think about it, though, as the ship entered the atmosphere roughly. Having forgotten to buckle himself to the chair, he was tossed to the floor, where he had to hold on to a pole to keep from getting tossed any more. Once it was past the atmosphere, the ship began a fast descent into the ground below. He scrambled back unto the chair, this time strapping himself firmly to the chair. Swiftly, he took hold of the landing controls and braced himself for a rough landing as he tried desperately to release the landing gears.

It was too late, however, and he closed his eyes tightly as the ship crashed down, skipping over the ground several times before stopping completely. The creature's eyes stayed tightly shut for several more seconds before finally opening and gazing around warily. He looked down at himself and found that besides his already bloody and bruised body, he was relatively unharmed. With a final exhale, he leaned back on his pilot's chair and willed himself to stop trembling. Finally, he released the constraints of the chair and tried to stand, but found he was too shaky to do so.

Through the view port, he could see nothing but sand covering the windshield. Just his luck, he had landed in the middle of a desert.

Well, he though wearily, I suppose a desert is better than an ice world.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now he had to figure out a way to call the attention of the warriors he had come to seek help from. If he could only power up to his maximum…

He stopped his train of thought. Well, he could power up to his maximum, even though he would risk complete exhaustion. But he supposed that right now he was desperate enough to try just about anything. Hopefully, the warriors would sense his power and come to him, even if he was unconscious. With that last thought in mind, he found new energy and stood. Aware of the fact that he would blow up the ship if he were to power up inside of it, he walked out of the ship and landed on his knees outside in the sand. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists at his sides. A powerful scream echoed throughout the vast emptiness around him and a red-orange aura engulfed him thoroughly. It lasted for about half a minute, before he finally collapsed on the ground and was surrounded by total blackness.

~oOo~

Vegeta clenched his fists as he glared at the radar. For some unknown reason, the other ship had slowed down to a stop and had landed on a nearby planet. He could barely control his anxiety now, he was two hours behind and he was sure Bulma's captors weren't going to sit around and have tea while waiting for him to catch up to them. Once again, he cursed at the technologically impaired and their extremely slow spacecraft. He considered the radar again. Why in the world would they land? Was Freeza on that planet? Could they have run out of fuel? Nonsense, Dalia wasn't that stupid; he could at least give her that much credit. The paranoia inside his head increased with every second as he considered the possibility of a trap.

Regardless of anything, landing and rescuing his loved ones was something he had to do. There was nothing worse than allowing the bastard that had held him captive for so many years a victory over him through his one weakness. He urged the ship onwards and crossed his hands over chest. Though he hated his choices, all he could do now was wait. It would be at least another half-hour before he got to the planet. With any luck, Dalia would still be there by that time and he could retake what was his.

He would show no mercy.

~oOo~

Dalia stood back to admire her handy work thoughtfully. The main system appeared to be back on line, but of course, maybe that part of the read out had been damaged too so the only sure way to check if the hyper drive worked was testing it. She looked across the room to see that Coran was still not finished his section.

"What's left?" she asked pacing towards him.

"Well," he replied peeking out of the hole he was in, "I'm still calibrating the Jump program. Double checking mostly, I wouldn't want us to accidentally appear inside a star instead of Glai'keel-sei."

Dalia nodded. She was about to say something else when a beeping sound from inside the cockpit distracted her from it. She instantly recognized it as the radar indicating the rapid approach of another ship. She narrowed her eyes knowing exactly who it was. How had he gotten there already?

"Coran," she called. "We've got company. I'll go buy you some time while you finish programming that."

"Vegeta's here already?" he said furrowing his brow. "Alright. Be careful and don't be afraid to ask for help."

"I don't think I'll be needing it," she answered pacing rapidly out of the cargo hold and passing two, exhausted demi-Saiyans inside their individual energy cubicles the process. Thank goodness those two had worn themselves out. She walked over to the exit ramp and lowered it.

Here goes nothing…

There was a soft whir as the ramp lowered and landed with a thump. She walked out just in time to see the other ship landing in an upheaval of dust. Reading herself for the inevitable fight she powered up just as Vegeta, looking beyond anger, stormed out of his ship.

"You bitch! How dare you prance into my home and steal what's mine! Did you expect me to sit back and do nothing?"

Dalia smiled slightly. "Of course I expected you to react somehow. Do you care so much for the Earthlings, little prince?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" he spat out angrily.

She grinned. "Interesting," she said calmly. "I never expected you to care so much about just another whore."

Vegeta let out a savage growl and lunged himself at her. He was met by empty space were the other had stood, and had just enough time to sense a presence behind him before the hard kick on his spine came. He took to the air and whirled around just in time to block a punch targeted at the base of his neck. He held the power of her attack for a few seconds before kneeing her in the stomach and causing her to retreat a few steps. Not waiting for her to recover, he resumed his attack targeting her head this time. She brought up an arm and impeded it, then brought her knee up to shove it in his gut, but he jumped backwards just in time to avoid it. All senses in tune, Dalia looked felt around for Vegeta's presence knowing he was moving rapidly around her and her eyes could deceive her. She let out a surprised gasp as she felt an arm wrap around her neck holding her in a death grip and bring her roughly back into an iron body. She brought her hands to his arm and tried hard to break his hold on her. A forceful punch in her back made her vision swim momentarily.

Damn…she thought while sinking her nails into his skin. I've got to get out of this before he punches a hole in my back!

Quickly deciding on what to do, she began to stab him back and forth with her elbow in his kidney. Vegeta eventually loosed his grip just enough for her to whirl forwards using the power of her inertia to send him flying before her. Breathing freely once again, she followed him while forming a ki blast in her open palm. Vegeta had anticipated this and fired his own ki ball at her that she narrowly missed. Distracted by the energy attack, she failed to notice Vegeta lunge at her again and had barely enough time to block his powerful punch before it hit. This was followed by a series of rapid blocks and attacks from both parties invisible to anyone who lacked extremely trained eyes and senses.

A few minutes later, Dalia quickly realized Vegeta was getting the upper hand as his attacks became harder and harder to block. Instantly disappearing from before him, she took his surprise to bring down both her fists in the back of his neck sending him crashing to the red earth below them. Making use of the few precious seconds in which he picked himself up from the ground, she brought out one of her trump cards. Screaming with exhilaration she powered up causing her aura to burn around her in flashing blues, greens, and violets. The braid that had been holding back her hair undid itself under the strain of power and she felt the inevitable transformation her body was taking. A flash of silver before her mutating eyes proved her hair had already changed as it swirled wildly around her. She looked down on Vegeta with cold, stoic eyes. Now she was ready to pick it up.

Already having picked himself off the ground, Vegeta narrowed his eyes in bewilderment. He had known Dalia for years and never would he have imagined that she too had other transformations. Her formerly innocent mint green eyes had slanted upwards and changed to a darker shade of green. Round cheeks were now gone, replaced with a more refined silhouette and the color of her skin had faded considerably to a lighter tint of blue. She floated directly above him in all her glory, silver hair flowing gracefully around her in the wind of her ki.

Vegeta couldn't help but smirk. With a humorless chuckle, he said, "So… you're not completely useless after all."

Not even bothering to dignify him with an answer, the new Dalia charged down at him, knocking him effortlessly back into the ground. Vegeta didn't stop to recover, choosing instead to bounce off the ground using his legs as impulse and slam them into her in the process. The impact didn't do much more than simply knock Dalia back a few paces. Vegeta charged at her again, arm poised to direct a punch to her face, but she held up her arm to block it. In the same breath, she grabbed him by the wrist and threw him behind her. The ground shook slightly under the force of Vegeta's weight. She made a move to kick him while he was down, but he was quicker than that. He flew up behind her, and kneed her in the back. Her back arched slightly in protest, but she didn't allow that to stop her. Whirling around rapidly, Dalia placed an uppercut punch on Vegeta's jaw, forcing his head back and making a trickle of blood appear on the side of his mouth.

Using the distraction, she shoved her fist into his stomach, making him double over. She pulled her fist back, allowing him to retreat and try to reclaim his lost breath. He made a move to inhale, but instead coughed blood. She took advantage of the moment again, charging at him leg-first and sending him flying upwards. With her quick speed, she got to him before he could go too far and regain control, elbowing his back. This time, he flew down, crashing with a giant explosion that made a crater in the ground.

He stayed at the bottom of the crater for several priceless seconds, trying hard to regain his breath. Knowing that he didn't have much time left, he kicked his legs up and landed on both feet. Above him, Dalia was once again flying down to prepare her next attack.

He wasn't going to allow her the chance.

In a quick flash of energy, he powered up to Super Saiyan 2. Dalia stopped her flight for a millisecond, eyeing him warily for a few moments, before continuing. She had already known he contained the strength, but she had been trying to prevent him a chance to summon it. Now, the real fight began.

Vegeta flew up, meeting her halfway there with a punch that she blocked and returned. Vegeta brought up an arm to meet it and raised a knee to her stomach. Dalia stopped it once again, initiating a series of parries and attacks between the two.

Vegeta scowled in frustration. This was getting them nowhere and for all he knew, the woman had already killed his family. This brought about a renewed sense of vigor as he formed a small ki ball in his hand. With amazing speed, he disappeared from her line of sight. As Dalia turned her gaze to look for him, Vegeta appeared behind her and released the ki blast in the small of her back. She cried out in a mixture of surprise and pain as she shot forward and hit the ground unceremoniously face first, forming a crater of her own. From were he flew above her, Vegeta could see torn skin and silver blood flowing freely from it. He flew down cautiously, setting down on the ground just above the new crater. He eyed her for several moments, noting her still form, before risking a glance back to the ship. He was relieved to find both Bulma and Trunks' ki still strong and healthy.

He turned back to look at Dalia and blinked in surprise. The crater was now empty and Dalia nowhere in sight.

"Shit," he swore. He whipped around, half expecting to see her behind him, but found nothing. "Where the fuck did you go?!"

He lifted up into the air and looked down.

Nothing.

He opened his mouth to curse once again when he felt something hit him from behind. He was thrown down, but managed to stop before he reached the ground. He looked up to see Dalia forming a multicolored ki blast with both her hands. He was most definitely not going to allow her to finish that attack. He released a flash of light from his hand at the same time as she released hers, their blasts crashing in the middle and forming a giant explosion. Vegeta didn't let her recover enough to form another one, quickly forming one of his own and throwing it at her. It hit her square in the chest and forced her to loose altitude. Before she could reach the ground, however, Vegeta soared at her and hit her on the back. She was thrown back up into the air and Vegeta again met her there, hitting her toward the ground, her body all bloody and bruised.

Dalia slowed her free-fall enough to land on her hands and knees. She took a second to gasp for the air that she lacked and arrange her thoughts. There was no way she could win this, but she had known that all along. Tasting the bitter flavor of blood in her mouth, she spit out what she could of the silver substance before making a move to stand.

Silver…

Though she looked humanoid, she lacked the characteristic of reddish blood that united them all.

Her blood…

She had to buy Coran more time and she had one last trick up her sleeve. It wouldn't stop Vegeta, but it might just give Coran enough time to fix the ship and get the hell out of the planet.

So be it.

Vegeta watched from above as Dalia levitated herself to meet him in mid-air. Her expression was still stoic and empty, but he thought he caught something glint in the ghostly halos that had once been her irises. She didn't power up, but something made her aura change drastically from blue to yellow. She screamed and brought her arms crossed before her, covering her face.

Vegeta blinked in surprise at what he finally saw. He had heard rumors, but it had been just that: rumors. He clenched his jaw, not sure how to react at first as he stared at the spot were Dalia had been a few seconds before.

Now in her place, he looked upon himself.

Vegeta gazed at his identical golden hair copy, not just that, but he sensed his ki in the other as well. He wasn't sure how, but Dalia had shape-shifted into him.

~oOo~

Coran bit his lower lip as he finished programming the necessary information into the computer. For sometime now, he had been trying hard to communicate with Dalia, but she kept pushing him out of her mind. Something was terribly wrong. Stretching with his ki, he felt for Dalia's life force and cringed involuntarily at what he found.

She was barely hanging on.

He could sense that not only had she maxed out her power, but she had also used her shape-shifting heirloom to mimic her opponent. He gritted his teeth together and quickly walked out of the cargo hold having finished all repairs on the craft. The two little brats had been cheering for sometime now letting him know they could sense Vegeta's ki outside, but he had not let that distract him. Now, they both stood quiet confused at the turn the events had taken. Coran knew of Dalia's ability, but he also knew that it was all an illusion. Her people could mimic looks and life forces, but that didn't mean they had the power they projected.

He knew what she was doing. She would get herself killed to buy him the time to leave the planet and report back to Freeza and Koola. Something long ago buried inside him resurface at the thought of loosing her. He already nearly gone mad at the loss of the telepathic connection he had had with his twin brother after his elder kin had abruptly cut it soon after he had joined Freeza and Koola. It had been Dalia who had helped piece him back together afterwards and so the bond had been reborn in her. If he lost her too, the agony and emptiness would drive him to madness. A strange and wild determination burst from inside him. He had to find a way to distract Vegeta long enough to get her back.

~oOo~

Bulma crossed her hands over her chest as glared at the door. She had been inside this room for hours, and no one had come to her, even after she had spent a good portion of the first screaming and yelling to catch someone's attention. This was no way of treating a woman in her state. To worsen things, she had no idea whatsoever of what was happening. All she knew was that Vegeta knew the creature that had kidnapped her and that was enough reason for her to worry. The young girl's skin had turned deep blue and her hair a dark indigo the second they had appeared inside this ship. Little after her arrival, she had been left in the care of a humanoid being who at first she had thought was Tapion, young man from the past who had spent centuries locked in an oracle while keeping a horrible monster trapped inside his body. She had soon learned differently when he had locked her up in this cell just after seeing him take her son and Goten somewhere else.

Bulma sighed. She was really worried, not just for herself now, but for the child inside her and her son and his friend outside. She wouldn't have minded nearly as much to be in this jam alone, but the thought of her children…

She clenched her jaw as the worry and stress consumed her. Surely, Vegeta would come after them. Surely…

The door to her chamber opened suddenly making her start. The man that looked like Tapion stood on the door, gray eyes gleaming in determination.

"Out," he ordered. "Now!"

Bulma was about to snap a comment at him, but the look in his granite eyes made the words die unspoken. She stood up and did as commanded following to where he led.

~oOo~

Dalia in Vegeta's form hit the ground hard. She put a hand over the area in her gut that the other had punched her and fought to keep herself from losing consciousness. She tried to breathe in but instead she coughed out more of the precious silver life force that ran through her veins. The charade hadn't lasted very long as after a few attacks, Vegeta had realized he wasn't really fighting himself.

Dammit Coran! she thought desperately. Get the hell away from here! What are you waiting for?!

She looked up at Vegeta and gathered the strength she had left. Soaring after him, they once again engaged in a fistfight.

"You'll save yourself a lot of pain if you shrivel up and die already," Vegeta told her slamming both fist into her back and sending her once again to crash down on the ground.

This time, something inside her snapped as she felt her façade melt away into nonexistence. Her vision wavered again and spots formed themselves before her eyes. She picked herself back up and swallowed down the cry of pain that threatened to escape her as she stood. The second she did, she doubled over again and coughed out more blood.

Vegeta watched the spectacle from above. The woman refused to die even after he knew that all her ideas had run out. He had known she was close to death the minute that his form had melted away from her. Now, she stood somehow managing to still keep a certain aura of grace as her silver hair cascaded down her back, even though her life force quickly escaped her. She charged at him again and he met her in mid air locking another punch in her gut that sent her flying back towards the ground. This time, she didn't get up.

Dalia…Please for the gods' sake, answer me!  
Dalia opened her eyes weakly. She took one last look at the spaceship and saw that it still was where she had left it.

Coran… Leave! What are you waiting for?

Look up! his voice commanded. She did as told and saw a figure appear on the door to the craft.

What…?

The Earth woman! Use her to get back! Hurry!

Dalia felt her body sigh in relief. Bless you, Coran! she said gathering what little power she had left to fly. Risking a look up at Vegeta, she saw that his attention was still focused on her. She exhaled determinably and flashed towards the Earthling.

Vegeta realized what the other was up to a second too late. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Dalia wrap an arm around Bulma's neck and he flew towards them landing a few feet from the pair.

"Take another step," Dalia told him stoically, "and I'll snap her neck."

Vegeta froze for a moment before replying. "Do that, and I'll make sure that what you've gone through now will be tripled," he threatened though he felt something heavy settle in the mouth of his stomach.

For the first time since he had seen that transformation, Dalia showed a glint of emotion as her lips curled slightly. "Then we'll all see each other in Hell."

She tightened her grip around Bulma's neck making her cry out suddenly.

"Vegeta…" Bulma rasped. "Trunks… they also have… Trunks…"

Vegeta clenched his fists in frustration until a fresh flow of blood emerged from them.

"Fuck you…" he swore, his gaze squarely on Dalia.

"Don't try to follow us," Dalia added while backing up back into the ship through the ramp. "Or I'll kill them one by one myself."

Vegeta trembled in anger and fear for his family. "Pray we don't meet again because I'll make you envy the dead!" he snarled.

Dalia's face was cast by shadows as she finished entering the ship. "I look forward to that," she said as the door began to close.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried just as the door shut before her. Immediately, Dalia released her grip and staggered backwards to lean against the wall. The second form slowly melted away, turning her back into the wide-eyed Sheera-jin she had been just a while before. She heard a satisfying purr from the engines as the ship quickly lifted from the ground and through the atmosphere. A few seconds later, Coran appeared around the hall freezing the Earth woman in her tracks and holding Dalia up before she collapsed.

"I'll heal you," he told her closing his eyes.

"No," she told him firmly. "Put me in the Healing Chamber, it should only be a few hours for me to be back to normal. You need to keep your strength for guarding the demi-Saiyans and for our masters when we get back."

Coran was about to object, then saw the truth to her words. "Very well," he agreed. "We'll contact our lords when you are healed."

Nodding slowly, Dalia let herself be claimed by darkness.


	6. A Glimpse of Tomorrow

There was a deep silence in the room as the Z warriors considered their options. It hadn't been too long ago that the fighters had been arguing about a sensible plan of action, when they had felt an amazingly powerful ki several thousand miles away from the Lookout. Taking charge immediately, Goku had ordered his friends to stay behind while he and Paikuhan had gone by themselves to investigate. They had returned twenty minutes later, completely unharmed, carrying the unconscious, bruised body of a creature whose species looked suspiciously familiar. Many questions surfaced, mainly about why the creature had powered up so much, but were ignored for the moment as Dende showed them to a room in the palace where the being could rest.

Once Dende had healed and clothed the new being properly, they were finally able to see the resemblance. His orange-tan skin was completely unmarred and rested above a well-muscled body. A pair of pointed ears decorated the sides of his face, finished off with a mane of wild light purple hair and matching eyebrows. Gohan had finally made a connection after seeing him clearly.

"He looks like Tapion!" he exclaimed, somewhat excitedly.

"He does, doesn't he?" Goku replied thoughtfully.

There was another silence in the room as they regarded the creature once again.

"What I don't understand," Kaio-shin said, breaking the silence, "is why he's still unconscious. By all rights, he should have woken up when Dende healed him."

"You can heal his body, but you cannot heal his soul," Paikuhan said quietly. "Perhaps his state was caused by something that goes beyond our comprehension."

"That's for sure," Goku muttered as we walked over to stand by the creature's bed. "His power level rose unimaginably, then suddenly disappeared. He must have done it on purpose."

"But why?" asked Gohan. "Was he trying to get someone's attention?"

"Well, if he was, it certainly worked," Krillin added. "Poor thing, he must have had it really rough."

Goku was silent as he stared down at the alien with a furrowed brow. He was completely healed now, so if he wasn't awake yet, it had to be because of something inside of him. There had to be something that was keeping him in this state and Goku felt so helpless simply standing there and staring. He clenched a fist at his side and looked away painfully. His gut feeling insisted that this creature was important to their new quest. He just knew it.

"… through complex magic. He has to be incredibly powerful," Kaio-shin was saying. Goku snapped back to attention and turned to face him.

"Is he some kind of magician?" he asked. It went unsaid, but they all knew the other was thinking back to Babidi. The entire ordeal had left them disturbed.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Kaio-shin answered. "But it wouldn't hurt to go back to the site where you found him. Did he have a transportation device?"

"Yeah, there was a ship…" Goku began, then trailed off as he realized something he hadn't give much thought to before. He thought back to the design of the ship. A round white torso covered in small, oval windows with yellow designs across the middle of the ship, two yellow claws jutting out from the side of the ship and several more that looked like they were barely about to be released… "And it looked an awful lot like one of Freeza's ships."

"You think he could be working for Freeza?" Tenshinhan asked in alarm.

"I wouldn't doubt it…"

Gohan was already shaking his head. "No, that doesn't make sense. Why would he make such a big show with his ki, then?"

"He could have been trying to power up for a fight," Krillin suggested.

"It's possible," Kaio-shin said, "but judging by his former condition, he had to have known he wasn't fit for it. No, he took a risk and he knew it."

"So the question is why," Videl spoke what was on everyone's mind.

"Well, we know one thing for sure: he's connected to Freeza in some way and I don't wanna wait around to see if that's good or bad," Tenshinhan said with resolve. "I'm going to check out the ship and see if there's anything that'll give us a hint. C'mon, Chouzu."

"Good idea," Gohan called after their retreating back. "And see if you can get Bulma or Dr. Briefs to help. Yamcha's been gone for a while."

"Sure thing," Tenshinhan answered as he and Chouzu disappeared from view.

"Do you think they'll find the Dragonballs in there?" asked Krillin.

No one replied, each lost in they're own similar thoughts. Finally, Piccolo pushed off the wall he was currently leaning against and walked over to stand next to Goku. He studied the creature lying unconscious on the bed for a long moment before shaking his head firmly. "Something here just doesn't add up," he spoke softly, as if to himself. "If he were really working for Freeza and Koola, he would have gotten the Dragonballs quietly and left immediately."

"I agree," Paikuhan added. "It's too careless to attract that much attention for no reason."

From her spot next to Gohan, Videl frowned in thought. She had watched for several hours as these people, the strongest beings in the universe, discussed their current situation. They spoke of these beings released from Hell with great fear, as if they were helpless children with nowhere to run. She had to wonder what exactly was magnitude of the problem. She had never met either of them, but she knew the bare basics of the situation by now and she didn't understand how her husband, who had put Cell away for good when he was just a boy, was still so concerned.

"Gohan," she called softly, touching her husband's arm to get his attention. When he shifted his eyes to regard her, she took hold of his hand and walked away a short distance from the rest of the group. "I still don't understand. I mean, I know the balance was thrown over with what happened, but…" she trailed off, trying to think of how to explain herself. "Well, can't you just put them back in? If someone could open a portal to Hell just like that, I'm sure you guys could too."

Gohan shook his head. "It's not that simple, Videl," he explained. "Freeza and Koola aren't stupid. They're incredibly powerful and they're very dangerous. We can't just pick them up and put them back where they belong."

Confused, Videl cocked her head sideways. "But you're the most powerful being in the universe."

"Only because beings like Freeza and Koola have forced us to get stronger," Gohan replied. "I seriously doubt they've been sitting around doing nothing for all these years. Not to mention that we have no clue as to where they are or what they're planning with the Dragonballs…"

Videl swallowed hard as a thousand images of possible scenarios flashed through her head. She supposed that when Gohan put it that way, it was easy to see why he and the others were so worried.

"… I mean, the best thing we can do right now is hope to find away to send them back to Hell before they're able to put their plan into motion," Gohan finished.

"If they haven't already," commented Juuhachigou, who had been standing amongst the shadows the entire time. "I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I think Vegeta had the right idea when he took off like that. Sitting around here isn't going to fix anything."

Whatever reply anyone was going to make was cut short as everyone's attention suddenly focused on a pained groan coming from the bed.

"Is he awake?" asked an anxious Krillin.

~oOo~

The darkness was overwhelming. He tried scratching toward a surface that seemed not to exist. Each limb appeared to weigh over a hundred tons, making the task all the more impossible. His lungs burned with a desire to take in just one precious breath, but even that simple right was impeded by an invisible force.

Time had disappeared in this world within his tormented mind, making him get lost in its endlessness. Sometime before, the back of his brain had registered a commotion in the real world, but he had paid no heed. At the moment, he was too busy being helpless to break free of whatever holds this imaginary world had on him. He kept seeing flashes, events he had witnessed before among others he had never seen and hoped vehemently that wouldn't happen.

…two figures stepping out of a large whirlpool of energy, content grins on their beautifully hideous faces…

…a beam of light shooting from seemingly out of nowhere to hit another creature square on the chest, blood bathing those around him…

…a pregnant woman surprised as she was grabbed by the wrist and suddenly appeared elsewhere…

…a young boy with flaring golden hair, angrily blasting walls around him and yelling at someone to be let out…

…a newborn child with unnaturally pale skin and glowing red eyes, glaring maliciously at the person holding it…

…something new, a creature he didn't recognize with a large build, yet delicate features and pallid coloring, laughing with a wickedness that sent cold shivers down his spine…

…a gigantic explosion of a peaceful planet, debris flying everywhere as the vortex of yellow light expanded all around it in a beautiful show of colors…

No.

Thrashing wildly, he struggled to loosen the grip of the images.

"No," he murmured. Bitter tears formed inadvertently at the corners of his eyes and he felt them run down his cheeks and jaw. "No! No, I refuse! It won't happen! No…!"

~oOo~

"Somebody hold him down!" Kaio-shin exclaimed in surprise as their latest acquisition began to thrash in his bed. Already, Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and Paikuhan were each holding the creature by a limb, trying their best to not hurt him.

"No!" the being was now yelling as he unyieldingly tossed and turned. "Nonononono…"

His eyes snapped wide open and he looked around frantically, his muscles obviously tense. Those around him that had been previously trying to hold him down released him warily and eyed him uncertainly. As if in a trance, the creature gazed down at his hands, watching as they moved from side to side. He flexed his fingers, and then tensed his hand, palm down, to stare at it. After a few moments, he looked up and examined his surroundings.

"I am no longer in the desert…" he said softly.

No one in the room dared to speak, the tension so thick, a knife couldn't cut through it. He looked up and seemed to spot the people in the room for the first time. "Where am I?"

Goku was the first to step forward. He offered the alien a small grin and bowed in greeting. "I am Son Goku," Goku introduced himself and then motioned to the people around the room, "and these are my friends. You're at Kami's Lookout."

He was met by several blinks from the other. "S—Son Goku? You are Son Goku?"

Goku brought up a hand to scratch the back of his head, eyes wide with innocence. "Yup, that's me."

To his utter surprise, the alien being jumped from his resting place and stood before him excitedly. "Thank the gods!" he exclaimed with relief. "I was not sure if you would find me and was afraid that final power surge would be the end of me…"

"You mean… you did do it on purpose, then?" Dende asked.

"I did," the creature replied. "I am called Ailill. You are just the ones I have been searching for…"

"What for?" asked Goku. "That was a pretty dangerous stunt you pulled. You could have been killed!"

"Yes," Ailill said gravely. "And I am sure it would have been a much better fate than if I had not found you."

~oOo~

Vegeta brought his fist down hard against the wall of a metal pole near the middle of his ship, promptly making a hole through it. The bottom half then made a protesting noise before breaking off and falling to the floor with a loud clatter. His ki flared out of control and Vegeta knew that if he didn't cool it, he would blast the spaceship into oblivion and he would die alone in the vacuum of space. With that thought in mind, Vegeta began a series of clenching and unclenching fists, trying to bring himself to a clearer state of mind. This was most definitely not helping Bulma.

After Dalia's ship had taken off just moments after she had stumbled inside—making it quite clear that she wasn't alone in her quest—Vegeta had flown back to his own ship, intent on following Dalia. He had gotten as far as to power up the ship and begin plotting a course based on the radar readouts of Dalia's craft, before realizing that he barely had enough fuel to get back to Earth. The blip on the radar that indicated Dalia's ship was getting further and further away, making him come to grips with the harsh reality. Dalia's ship was a lot faster and probably had all the capabilities for refueling that it needed.

By now he knew better than to take such insane risks, especially since he had so much to lose. He had made a split-second decision, plotting a course to Earth instead. Vegeta had a general idea of where the ship was going and he knew of ways to track it once he got the proper equipment.

If it was a fight they wanted, then it was a fight they were going to get.

~oOo~

"…that is when I knew I had to get to you," Ailill was saying. "You cannot imagine the horrors I've witnessed—the horrors that will happen because I was too weak."

No one dared speak a word as they absorbed Ailill's story. With fidgeting hands, Ailill waited nervously for his story to sink in. It was as if he half expected one of them to suddenly jump on him or blast him straight to Hell, where he belonged.

At least then, he'd be put out of his misery.

"So… let me get this straight," Krillin said, breaking the silence. "You opened this big portal to Hell and you let Freeza and Koola step out… just like that?"

"Well," Ailill replied, uncomfortable with the line of questioning, "not exactly just like that. There was a lot more to it…"

"…and the reason you're here now is…?" Piccolo inquired.

Ailill blinked. He could have sworn he had made at least that part really clear. "I need your help. I—you need to help me put them back in their place. They simply cannot be allowed to roam free anymore… it's—it's disastrous!"

"Hmm," Piccolo muttered. "And how do you propose we do this?"

"Uh, well, I suppose that we would have to locate my opposite-energy and bring him to the ceremonial altar. During this process, our energies combine to open the portal and…"

"…and we simply ask them nicely to step inside, right?" Piccolo interrupted sarcastically.

Ailill pursed his lips together. "Well, it would be nice, but I seriously doubt Freeza and Koola would be willing to cooperate."

"Then I guess the only thing we need to figure out is how to get them to step inside," Krillin commented.

"Yes, and where they are and how we get there and how long it will take and where we can find this opposite-energy…" Gohan began to list.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Krillin backed down.

"Am I the only one who's seeing a big flaw in this plan?" Juuhachigou asked dryly. "How do you know you can trust this guy, anyway? He's obviously connected to these Freeza and Koola characters."

Ailill bit his bottom lip in frustration. Of all the ways he had imagined this meeting to go, this was the last thing that had passed through his mind. But of course, he should have expected it. It was obvious these people were wary of newcomers… especially newcomers that released old enemies from Hell.

"I understand your anxieties," Ailill reasoned. "There is nothing more I can do to prove myself, but you must believe me. I am here to help."

"Well, I believe you," Goku replied, stepping up next to him and looking at his friends. "It makes sense…"

"Like staying on Namek to fight Freeza did?" Piccolo said. As much as he liked and trusted Goku as a close friend, he still had a hard time understanding the other man's line of thinking. "I have no problem putting Freeza and Koola back where they belong… if what you say is true."

"All right, everyone, calm down," Kaio-shin finally spoke up, thoroughly silencing anything else anyone wanted to say. "I can see everyone's point of view, but attacking each other like this is not going to help. Now, Ailill is the only lead we have on this development. I'm not saying we should trust him so easily, but—"

The slamming of the door cut him off. Everyone looked up to see Vegeta standing by the door. His training suit was hanging on to him in tattered shreds and he was covered in dirt and bruises. When Goku held up a hand in greeting, Vegeta narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Hey, Vegeta! Welcome back!"

"Bulma's missing," were the first words that tumbled out of Vegeta's mouth.

"Huh?" Goku asked. "But Yamcha and Tenshinhan left about an hour ago to find her…"

"Obviously they didn't because she's not on Earth!" Vegeta interrupted loudly. "Dammit, Kakarot, don't argue with me on this, I can tell when my own wife has been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped?!" Gohan cried. "What do you mean?"

Vegeta sighed in exasperation. "I don't have time for this," he muttered to himself. "You're all a bunch of idiots." He started to turn to leave when he caught sight of someone that hadn't been there when he left. His gaze narrowed in on Ailill, who blinked in surprise and back away involuntarily.

"You!" Vegeta exclaimed accusatorily. "I don't know how you got back here so quickly, but you're about to leave just as quick." He raised a hand, palm out, and formed a ki ball.

"Whoa!" Goku cried, quickly stepping in front of a terrified Ailill defensively. "Whoa, calm down, Vegeta."

"Get away, Kakarot, unless you too are looking for a one way ticket back to the afterlife."

Goku narrowed his eyes. "Just calm down and tell me what happened to Bulma."

"You have three seconds to step away from that filthy son of a bitch…" Vegeta threatened.

"Vegeta…"

"Three…"

"Wait a sec—"

"Two…"

"If you'd just—"

"One."

Vegeta released the ki blast from his hand, watching as it went on a straight path toward Goku. Goku responded by swatting it away, causing Krillin to jump sideways in surprise as the blast exploded on the wall behind him. Vegeta was already forming a second one, when Piccolo stepped directly in front of him.

"That's enough, Vegeta," he said with a commanding voice. "This is getting us nowhere. Now tell us what happened."

Vegeta glared at the tall Nameku-jin with a surprising air of arrogance for someone so short. "That fucking bastard kidnapped my family and took them to god knows where. Now out of my way before I destroy you as well…"

"What's he talking about?" Goku asked Ailill.

By now, the attention of everyone in the room was focused on Ailill. "I see you've met my brother," he commented.

"Like hell I did!" Vegeta snarled. "It was you! You're Coran, don't try to weasel out of…"

"I'm not!" Ailill hurried to defend. He sighed and glanced at the floor. "I'm sorry about your family, but it was not me you saw."

Vegeta glared at Ailill for several more moments, his clenching jaw noticeable to everyone around him. Behind him, the doors suddenly burst open again and Yamcha ran inside, Puaru floating beside him.

"Guys!" he cried. "Bulma's missing!"

All eyes focused on him, Vegeta's snort resounding loudly in the small room. Before anyone could form a proper reply, the doors flew open again and in came Tenshinhan, followed closely by Chouzu.

"Hey, everyone, Bulma's missing!" Tenshinhan informed.

"Uh, yeah," Krillin cracked. "Thanks for telling us."

"We all hadn't heard it the first time that Vegeta told us," Gohan added.

"And Kakarot is standing in the way of the person responsible for it," Vegeta growled.

Goku's face became serious as he nodded once. "Look, I don't know what happened with Bulma, but this guy couldn't have done it. We found him in a ship just about an hour ago and he's been unconscious ever since."

Vegeta's narrowed eyes glowered at Ailill, and he took one step forward, pointing an index finger in his direction. "What the fuck are you?"

"My name is Ailill and I am a Konack-jin. We are a race of powerful magicians…" he trailed off, looking pensive for a few seconds, then shaking his head as if too clear it, continued, "I was taken from my home by my twin brother Coran and was a prisoner under Freeza until I escaped just recently. I—I don't know how long I went unnoticed, but I am sure they know by now where I am headed. If we don't move quickly, all will be lost."

"Spare me," Vegeta told him spitefully. "I will back down for now, but if I for one second have reason to doubt any of what you've said, nothing in this god-forsaken universe will save you from my wrath."

Ailill nodded nervously.

"All right, let us think this through carefully," Kaio-shin spoke. "We know how to return Freeza and Koola to their, uh, eternal prisons. What we need to do is find them first, correct?" He turned to Ailill. "Do you know what they are planning with the Dragonballs or with Bulma?"

Ailill shook his head. "No, I was a prisoner. They don't exactly tell prisoners this type of information."

"Very well then," Kaio-shin continued. "How about where they are? Do you know that much?"

This time, Ailill nodded an affirmative. "Yes, I could take you there."

"I think we should assemble a team and head over there," Piccolo suggested. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get this over with."

"Um, I don't think it's going to be that simple," Gohan stated. "Remember who we're dealing with here, you guys."

"Oh, it won't be so bad!" Goku exclaimed. "Paikuhan and I fought them in the afterlife and we totally kicked the crap out of them. Right, Paikuhan?"

Paikuhan simply smiled and nodded once at the praise.

"I'm not talking about physical strength. I'm talking about strategy, and they've obviously got the upper hand right now. We have no idea what they have planned plus they already have the Dragonballs and Bulma," Gohan replied.

"…and Trunks," Vegeta added, then looked Goku square in the face, "…and Goten."

~oOo~

Leaning against the shadowy wall of the room, Piakuhan listened to the ongoing events thoughtfully. He had opted to remain quiet for most of his stay, only speaking when he thought he could add something more to the discussions or bring up an important point. He had never been the talkative type and besides this, he didn't really know anyone that well besides Son Goku and Piccolo, who like himself, also was the quiet type. Krillin, Yamcha, and Vegeta he had seen, and maybe even had short conversations with but not enough to really get to know them.

But he could feel for them.

He had had the 'pleasure' of meeting this Freeza character once before when he and some other being named Cell had decided to gang up together and torment their tormentors in Hell. He had been sent by Dai-Kaio to set things right down there and had been accompanied on this quest by Son. The impression he had gotten of the creature was that he was extremely evil, but fortunately for him, Freeza's strength ranked nowhere near his. This would prove very useful now that the fiend was roaming free once again.

Looking at the group, he couldn't help but feel a pang of fellowship for them, especially Vegeta. Though he had never lost his family this way, he had been about to and the thought alone had almost driven him mad. Thinking back on it, he didn't regret the consequences. If he had too he'd do it again; dying for his loved ones and his people was the ultimate proof of his dedication and love towards them.

~oOo~

Contemplating the darkening sky, Paikuhan thought back at how all this had come to be. He knew that there, just beyond the atmosphere, an irrefutable threat lurked making its way slowly towards his helpless planet. This had begun decades ago when his peaceful people had been forced to take arms in a desperate attempt at fighting off the Nebura invaders from their sister star. He had been General at the time, and had been ordered by their Chief of State to alert the army and defend that, which had been theirs for millennia.

The war had been hard and long extending for decades in a frozen stalemate: they refused to give in and the invaders to back away. Both species were incredibly strong, so both planets now carried the scars of battles fought on their soil. It had been on one of those combats that one of their moons had been destroyed. It had no immediate consequence but a few decades later, long after the war had been over and their freedom re-won, the damage had been clear. It had been one of the minor moons only used for some mining, but it played a key role in the cosmic dance of their double star system.

Every few hundred years, their skies would be decorated by the close passing the T'ry comet. What no one had counted on was that the only thing that would have kept the comet from crashing into the planet had been that particular moon and its gravitational pull. The comet would have passed extremely close by, but the force pulling it in the other direction would have prevented the disaster.

The news came unexpected to all since the calculations to the comet's route hadn't been changed since the moon blew up. As a result, they only had a few days to prepare for the inevitable destruction of the world. Many solutions had been presented, but none that would fully function. It was a big comet and blowing it up in space would only make one projectile turn into many. Hence, the planet was being evacuated. Otherwise, no one would survive.

Paikuhan clenched his jaw in frustration. They only had a few hours to admire their lovely planet for the last time. With a sigh, he turned to return to his home and family. His wife and only son had already packed when he arrived. All their belongings were stashed away inside boxes that would be shipped off planet to where ever their new home would be. He had been enjoying the final meal in his house when the call had come. Feeling his blood turn cold all of the sudden, he set down the receiver and turned to face his wife and child.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Diroi, his son, asked him immediately picking up his sudden change of mood.

"Paikuhan?"

Paikuhan inhaled sharply knowing that there was no use hiding the news from them when soon, the whole word would know. "The Nebura," he started. "Attacked simultaneously all Transport pads on the planet and destroyed our cargo vessels."

His wife, Atima, brought both her hands over her mouth and released a horrified gasp. "We can't leave?!"

"The Chief of State if gathering all none commercial ships left on the planet to evacuate as many people as possible but…"

"There won't be enough…" she finished for him.

Paikuhan looked back and forth between his wife and his wide-eyed son. "Chief's having an emergency meeting. I have to report over there, but the two of you can come along." He smiled weakly. "Might as well."

They had reported in as ordered and had there learned that, as Paikuhan feared, almost everyone that had private vessels had already left. There weren't enough ships to evacuate three quarters of the remaining population.

The hours crawled by slowly sinking every one into anguish at their impending doom. Out the window, the night sky was already lighted with the ghostly blue light of the approaching comet now only a few hours away. He had already given up on attending the chaos-ridden meetings of the governors and pondered silently on a solution to their problem while spending his remaining time with his family.

It had been an hour before dawn, while holding the sleeping form of his son that the idea had come to him. He generated a ki ball from his fiery aura and contemplated it thoughtfully. Quickly making up his mind, he handed his son over to his wife and exited the room they were in. It was a long shot, but they might just get lucky. The Chief of State agreed with the idea and accepted Paikuhan's volunteering knowing that he was the only person on the planet that could pull off such a stunt.

They entire city had gathered to meet the comet face to face, knowing that there was nowhere they could hide. Kising his wife and son good bye and after a long farewell, Paikuhan set out to carry out his plan. Powering up at his maximum, he flew as high as his lungs allowed him to wait for the comet. A few minutes before it hit, he released his power.

Screaming in pain and exhilaration, Paikuhan dispersed his fiery ki to engulf the planet creating a shield around it. The comet hit, slowly consuming itself in Paikuhan's ever-growing aura. The process had only lasted several minutes but in the end, Paikuhan had gotten consumed by his own strength along with comet. Next he knew he was standing judgment before the legendary King Enma. After reviewing his deeds, he had been allowed to keep his body and been set under the tutelage of his sector's guardian for training.

~oOo~

Paikuhan smiled at the bittersweet memories. The rest of his existence was history. He had trained under the West Kai ever since, his training culminating when Dai-Kiao had invited him to his planet and asked him to take care of the troublemakers for him. Needless to say, the tournament held afterwards where he had fought Son Goku was the climax of his time dead, excluding that weird incident with that Janemba character and, of course when Majin Buu had popped out of no where looking for a fight… and now this. The fact that he had randomly been cast once again into the world on the living with the Supreme Kai was a bit unnerving at times. More so after they learned of the havoc Heaven was in. He returned from his walk down memories lane and concentrated once again on what was being said.

~oOo~

Inside the void of chaos, two pairs of crimson orbs stared at each other. A bright ruby versus a deep scarlet, Freeza and Koola backed out of the combat they had been engaged in to catch their breath. Around them, space rumbled dully as if in complaint to the pressures of the colorful, giant spheres in their ever-present journey around the single blue sun that commanded their dance.

Koola observed his brother's shadow-cast silhouette recalling idly the first time that the two of them had battled in this same arena together. Their father, King Kold had brought Freeza with him one day to continue his training in space since teaching him on the planet was becoming dangerous. Freeza had been in his first years of adolescence, and he thought this would give him an opportunity to show off for younger Glai'keel-jin. His father had proved him wrong however, when instead of making them fight each other, he had set them to battle him. Fair odds for them, two against their father, but he still had the upper hand for that battle and gave them both a good beating.

King Kold had trained them this way for years until Freeza finally reached his first transformation. Overcome by cockiness the two of them had charged at their father, Koola transforming in the process, thinking that now that they both had reached their father's apparent level of strength, they could finally win a round. Incredibly enough even with the two of them transformed, they still weren't able to damage their father, and Kold had made that quiet clear.

Later he had learned the reason for all the team battles. When they had finally been allowed to spar each other, they found themselves 'evenly matched' even though he was stronger than Freeza. His father's plan had been for them to learn to anticipate the other's moves in an effort to coordinate them against him. They had learned this so well, that even with his superior strength, the battles with Freeza almost always ended in a stalemate.

It had been numerous amounts of years before they had battled the way they were today. Little by little, they had grown stronger and adapted their bodies for the new power they gained, Freeza showing off every step of the way. Koola had granted him this favor figuring he got his slightly spoiled attitude because he was the youngest. Over the years however, it became ever more annoying and he had been force to discreetly show his younger brother a lesson or two along the way. He had been intending to do just this the day he had committed the biggest mistake of his life. One so big, that it had haunted him for years and even now.

It had been the day of the destruction of Vegeta-sei, he had been invited by his brother to watch the light show and though a bit reluctant to give his younger brother another chance to show off, he had gone if only to finally see the destruction of the Saiya-jin. Just as the planet was being destroyed, his men caught site of a pod escaping the planet. Closer inspection revealed that it contained a Saiya-jin brat, undoubtedly being sent to a planet for it's conquering. Though angered by the fact that one of the monkeys had escaped, he had opted not to destroy it; it was Freeza's responsibility to see to their destruction after all. It Freeza's mistake one had survived and Freeza's problem to fix, not his. Intending to show his reckless brother a lesson in responsibility, he had let it slip by and had left to finish his duties for the day.

As in Physics, every action had a reaction. That little brat had grown up to be Son Goku and ironically enough, Freeza had learned a lesson that had eventually cost him his life. Koola had learned of this little after it had happened and, blinded by an intense hatred to who ever dared touch his family and a pang of guilt at having let the Saiya-jin brat live, he had embarked on a journey to correct his mistake. The battle had eventually almost cost him his life being saved by sheer luck and a miracle. He had faced Son Goku again in his rebirth as a metal form, but the monkey and that damned Vegeta had somehow managed, by a strike of good fortune, to destroy him.

He sneered unconsciously. He'd make him pay dearly for what they had done. Soon, he would correct the mistake that had haunted him even in death.

"Amused by something, Koola?" Freeza's voice broke into his thoughts.

Koola returned his attention to his brother and grinned. "How about we finish the warm up and get serious? It's obvious you've improved a lot, but so have I."

Freeza's lips parted into a smile. "I was wondering when you'd stop fooling around. You had to be doing something besides cursing your existence in Hell. By the way, Papa and I felt your death, but where were you? We didn't find you."

Koola smiled bitterly. "They had a 'no family' policy down there. It's rare that you and Papa were together, probably because of the proximity of your deaths. I was there, but probably on the opposite side you were in."

Freeza nodded then increased is ki in a sudden burst of red aura. "Let's see what you've got then."

Koola grinned and increased his own ki before lunging himself at his brother. The battle intensified over the next few minutes before they had to interrupt it again, but this time because of a message from their ship.

"Koola here," he said and tapped the scouter for the appropriate channel.

"Sire," came the raspy voice from the speaker. "We are receiving a transmission from Dalia. Shall we put it through?"

"Yes," Koola replied though the answer was obvious. It took a few moments, but Dalia's voice finally came through.

"My lord?"

"Report, Dalia. How was the mission?"

"Successful, sire. We have the Dragonballs and the Earthling woman as well as a couple of other surprises."

"And our opposites?"

"On Earth. Coran believes that they and the rest of the Earthling scum will try to follow us, reason why I think it unsafe to meet with you on Glai'keel–sei."

Koola smiled. "Perfect, you know of our base in the N'ree system, correct?"

"Yes, sire."

"Meet us there. We should be arriving in about a week, if we embark today."

"No problem, Lord Koola. It'll take a few more days than that for us to reach it at top speed."

"Then we'll see each other there. Koola out." He cut the transmission and turned to his brother who waited a few feet away.

"I take it everything's is in order?" Freeza asked.

"Yes," Koola replied. "We should be heading back to the ship. It won't be long now before our waiting comes to a close."

~oOo~

Bulma rested her head on the palms of her hands and sighed. It had been around five hours since she had last had any sort of contact with other living things. Wondering idly if Vegeta was still following, she leaned back against the wall. She was sure Vegeta would somehow move Heaven and earth to get them back, that much he had proved to her the last time she had seen him. Even though he hadn't gotten his way, that glint of determination in his dark eyes had given her the information necessary to be certain of this.

Vegeta had always proved to be unpredictable and she sometimes had trouble keeping tabs on his behavior. This only served to make things more interesting for the two of them in the long run since she too tried to catch him by surprise. Their relationship could be called a lot of things, but uninteresting was undoubtedly not one of them. They certainly did have a way of keeping each other on their toes. A smile parted her lips for a moment as she thought back at how this game had begun.

~oOo~

"Bulma? Bulma, dear? Are you—oh, there you are!"

Bulma held the mouthpiece of the telephone away from her mouth as she turned to see her mother walk into the kitchen. "Is there something you need, Mama?"

"Oh, yes, dear," Mrs. Briefs chirped happily as she hurried into the kitchen and began opening and closing cabinets. "Your father wants to bring one of his best bottles of wine to the party tonight and I could have sworn I had one up here! Could you do me a favor and head down to the basement to get one? You can meet us there tonight. I have a hair appointment in half an hour that I don't want to miss. Thanks, dear!" With that, the ditzy woman patted Bulma's cheek and headed out the back door.

Bulma blinked a few times at the door her mother had just walked out of and then shook her head in exasperation. "Longeray?" she said into the phone. "I'll have to call you back… yeah, Mama's in her own little world, I know…" She giggled and placed a hand on her hip. "Well, that's our family for ya!" She waited a few beats and then nodded, despite the fact that the woman over the phone couldn't see her. "Right, see ya then."

She pressed the "talk" button of the phone to hang it up and placed it on top of the table before turning to leave the kitchen. The basement her mother had mentioned was, simply put, a bomb shelter. Years ago when her father had first built the company, he had decided to put said shelter in for any emergency. It was small, consisting only of a bedroom with two beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a tiny living area that the Briefs used mainly to store things—among them, old bottles of wine saved for important occasions. There was some plumbing and electricity wired to it, though Bulma wasn't sure if it even worked anymore.

With careful deliberation, she descended the stairs leading down to a gigantic steel door that was left open with a doorstopper. She went down yet another set of stairs and began to search the wall for a light switch. Finally finding one, she pressed it and held her breath as a single light bulb in the middle of the ceiling flickered to life somewhat reluctantly.

What it illuminated made Bulma think that perhaps the room looked better dark. I should tell Papa to send a clean-up crew down here, she thought with a level of disgust as she weaved through old junk and ducked sticky spider webs. How gross.

It didn't take long for her to reach the wine rack. She crouched down in front of it to look for just the right bottle. As she examined the dates on the labels, she heard a small screeching sound and felt something warm scurry across her toe, which was exposed through the front of her sandals. She jumped back in surprise and let out a loud shriek when she saw a large white rat looking up at her innocently. With yet another scream, she proceeded to jump unto a nearby chair. The rat moved its nose and twitched its whiskers, as if wondering what all the fuss was about, then scurried under her chair.

Bulma whimpered and followed it with a cautious gaze as it screeched and scampered through the ground.

"Stop that inane bellowing, already!" a gruff voice came from the top of the stairs. "You're hurting my ears."

Bulma glanced up to find a very annoyed Vegeta standing by the top of the second set of stairs, holding the edge of the door with a gloved hand. He wore a pair of dark green, non too lose training pants and a matching green tank top, making Bulma deduce that he had probably been taking a lunch break when he had heard her scream. As always, he completed the wardrobe his white gloves and boots.

She glared at him from her perch on the chair and looked down at the rat—only to find it gone. Suddenly feeling incredibly stupid, she tentatively stepped down from her chair and looked around her for the missing rodent.

"The way you were screaming, one would think the androids decided to attack earlier than expected," Vegeta continued, releasing the door and coming down the steps.

"For your information…" Bulma began, then trailed off, realizing that letting Vegeta know that she was scared of a measly, insignificant… large, ugly rat would simply fuel his delight with making fun of her. "I was just… practicing my reflexes…"

Vegeta simply arched an eyebrow, clearly not buying it for a second, but figuring he really didn't care. "What are you doing down here?" he asked, glancing around the place with masked curiosity.

"Oh, Mama asked me to get the best bottle of wine for the party tonight," Bulma explained, warily crouching down again to get the bottle. This time, she didn't even stop to look at the dates, just taking one and getting up immediately. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Hmm…" was Vegeta's reply, as he continued his inspection of the basement.

Bulma could tell that he wanted to know what this room was, even though he didn't ask.

"This is Papa's storage room," she told him. "It's supposed to be a bomb shelter of sorts. See? It even has a kitchen full of canned goodies. Not like we've had to use it anyway." She shrugged and started walking backwards towards the door. "There's a bedroom, a bathroom…" The sound of a creaking door behind her made her stop and whirl around—just in time to see the huge steel door swing close. She blinked in shock, simply staring at in blankly. Then she tossed the bottle of wine on top of a small couch and ran up the stairs.

"Oh, shit!" she cried as she reached the door and began to push it as hard as she could. "Uh, uh, you have got to be kidding me!" She pressed her shoulder against it and shut her eyes tightly as she tried to budge the door to no avail.

From his place in the living area, Vegeta watched with interest as Bulma continued her antics.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded after several more seconds.

"What the hell is my problem?" Bulma repeated incredulously, whirling around to face him. "My problem is that we are now stuck inside this fucking room, thanks to you!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! The door had a stopper to hold it open and you obviously moved it when you came gallivanting down here! It only opens with a key."

"So?"

"So!" Bulma yelled, her chest heaving with exasperation. "I… don't… have it!"

She turned around again and started pounding on the door. "Papa!" she called as loud as she could. "Papa! Can you hear me?! Papa!"

Vegeta watched her for several moments before rolling his eyes. He formed a ki blast in his palm and raised it to the door. "The old man is deaf," he said. "Now step aside unless you want to go down with it."

Bulma's eyes widened and she hurried down the stairs again. "Are you insane?" she cried as she held on to his arm and tried to push it away with no success. "You'll blow the entire house down on top of us with the amount of energy needed to knock that door down!"

"And I should care because…" Vegeta replied, still staring straight ahead and not budging an inch.

"…because no one else in this entire planet is brave or rich enough to take you in," Bulma retorted. "Unless, of course, you wouldn't mind living with Son-kun until the androids get here…"

Vegeta's previously smug expression turned sour at the mention of Son Goku and the idea of having to depend on him for anything. He extinguished the ball of ki from his hand before crossing his arms over his chest and turning away from Bulma. She breathed a sigh of relief and opened her mouth to snap at him when she caught sight of the rat once again. Releasing a loud scream, she jumped back and latched on to Vegeta's arm. Surprised, Vegeta twisted his head to see what had gotten Bulma so alarmed.

Upon seeing the rat, he let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "That's what made you so scared?" he asked in amusement. Shaking his head, he uncrossed his arms. Bulma gasped and moved to stand behind him, still not letting go of his arm. With his free hand, Vegeta pointed an index finger at the rat and shot a small beam of ki at it. The poor rodent never stood a chance. In less than a second, all that was left of it was a black mark on the floor where the rat had previously been. "Pathetic. Whoever heard of being scared of a rat?"

Bulma glared at him and hastily released his arm. "Okay, so I'm not that fond of those ugly little creatures. Can you blame me? Stupid little furry bodies with… whiskers that twitch when they make that stupid noise… and the eyes! They're so… beady. Poking out of their face. I mean, who needs to have their eyes poking out like that? They stare at you all innocently, as if…" she trailed off when she saw Vegeta's eyebrows were raised in pure amusement. "Okay, the point is that I hate them."

Vegeta's eyes rolled skywards as he turned around to examine the room once again. There was just no way he would spend another minute trapped down here with her. Without a doubt, he would go completely mad before the day was over… if he didn't kill her first, that is. The first thing he noticed was that the place didn't have any windows and he commented so. Bulma responded that it was because the place was built completely underground, which lead to the assumption that there had to be a source of breathable air in the probable case that the air conditioner wouldn't work if it were a real emergency.

"Over here," Bulma called. She motioned to an air vent above her head. From the ground, it looked big enough for a person to fit through. But before she was able to find something to stand on in order to reach it, Vegeta had already levitated up to it. He released the covering and tossed it to the ground, causing it to resound loudly in the absolute silence of the room.

"It should be connected to the other one at Papa's workroom," Bulma said thoughtfully as she watched Vegeta's head disappear through the hole in the ceiling.

"Well?" She watched anxiously as Vegeta levitated back down. "Can we get out?"

"No such luck," he told her. "It's not large enough for either of us to crawl through."

"Ugh!" she cried angrily, glancing down at her watch impatiently. "I have an appointment with my stylist in half an hour. I'll never get to the party on time…"

"You won't be getting to the party at all if you don't stop whining and figure out a way to get us out of here!" Vegeta spat furiously.

Bulma took a deep breath and tried to think. "Okay, the door is stuck, there aren't any windows and the air vent isn't large enough for us to go through. Umm… We could…" She glanced around the room, looking helplessly for anything that might help her figure something out. "…dig a hole through the ground and end up on the other side?" she finished weakly.

At Vegeta's incredulous look, she huffed and hit her hands against the sides of her thighs. "We'll just have to wait for Mama or Papa to notice that we're missing and go looking for us," she said. With a deep sigh, she picked up the bottle of wine she had dropped on the couch and plopped down on the spot it had been. "So much for the party. This is all your fault," she added.

"My fault?!" came Vegeta's predictable explosion. "I wasn't the one who screamed at the sight of a puny rat!"

"No, but you were the one who took the stopper off the door and let it slam close!"

"Well, if you hadn't been such an idiot, I wouldn't have come down here in the first place!"

"Right, I held a gun to your head and forced you to come down and check on me."

"You might as well have, with your pathetic screeching. You probably had it planned!"

"Oh, yeah! 'Cause Kami knows it's my dream to be trapped in a basement with the likes of you!"

"So you admit it."

"Now you're blaming your clumsiness on me?"

"I am not clumsy!"

"Are too!"

"I am n—" Vegeta caught himself before he could continue on this childish game. By now, Bulma was standing mere inches from him, the bottle of wine clutched at her side, her face flushed from her anger. He clenched his teeth and tightened his fists to try and keep the last remnants of restraint he had left. "Look," he began again. "Your parents will notice your absence soon enough and they'll eventually find us here."

"I have places to be!" Bulma exclaimed.

"You think I don't?" Vegeta countered. "I should have been back to my training a long time ago. This is an utter waste of time!"

"Kami only knows when Mama and Papa finally notice we're missing."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Bulma explained, "that they're both always on cloud nine and they'll eventually hop on a plane and not notice I wasn't at the party until they're well on their way to Hawaii."

"Hop—" Vegeta blinked in surprise. "You mean they're going on vacation?"

"Right after the party," Bulma confirmed. "'Till Monday."

Vegeta groaned in misery. "We would have been better off if I had just blasted the door."

~oOo~

Bulma couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. Little had they both known that their three-day captivity in her father's old bomb shelter would ultimately turn into a blessing. For their entire stay, they had alternated between getting on each other's nerves and yelling at each other for it, and going to separate ends of the room in absolute silence. Sometime around the afternoon of the second day, the sexual tension that had been building up between them for the past year finally exploded. They had been arguing profoundly (not that their arguments differed from that, anyway) about lack of food. Vegeta had consumed over half of the food stored and Bulma was afraid they would run out before they were found.

~oOo~

"Well, excuuuuuse me for not wanting to die of starvation, Oh Mighty Royal Pain in the Ass!" Bulma was yelling.

"A Saiyan consumes food in larger quantities," Vegeta told her matter-of-factly. "When it comes down to it, it's either you or me and I choose me." He ended the statement with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Why…! Of all the low-down, dirty things to say…!"

But Vegeta had already turned his back on her. She looked absolutely livid as she stalked after him into the bedroom. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Vegeta!"

He still ignored her as he opened the door connecting the bedroom to the bathroom.

"I am so sick of—"

Whatever Bulma was about to say was caught off when Vegeta abruptly turned around, grabbed her by the waist, and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes went wide and she stood still, thoroughly shocked at what he had just done. After several moments, she closed her eyes and responded to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and twining her fingers into his hair. She brought their bodies closer as he deepened the kiss and walked her towards the wall behind her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, old fantasies were brought forth. She clearly remembered some of them that had started developing months ago when she had accidentally walked in on Vegeta wearing nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, water droplets glistening on his torso and legs, and a strong scent of soap. Her knees went weak at the thought and she had to hold on to his muscle-corded neck tightly to keep from falling Vegeta proceeded to pin her against the wall as he trailed kisses down her jaw and to her neck.

"Behold," he murmured against her neck. "There really is a way to shut you up. If I would've known this when we first met, I definitely wouldn't have wasted so much time arguing."

She let out a soft moan that reverberated in her throat and tickled Vegeta's lips.

"Definitely would've saved us both a lot of trouble," she replied. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was once again silenced by Vegeta's lips. She forgot anything else that might have been on her mind, focusing instead on the warm taste of Vegeta's mouth and the feel of his hands on her body. Finally, he lifted her against him and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. With no protest from her, he continued his exploration, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, then her shoulder…

~oOo~

Bulma cut the train of thought there. She knew that now wasn't the time to be remembering those particular bits of her relationship with Vegeta, since she already missed him well enough as it was. That had been the way they had spent the rest of their confinement. Monday had rolled around and her parents had finally returned from their weekend getaway. Dr. Briefs must have noticed the closed steel door, because Bulma and Vegeta could both hear him calling Bulma's name from the other side. Bulma had rushed to the door and pounded on it as hard as she could, informing her father that they were indeed trapped and she didn't have the key with her. Without a moment's hesitation, the elder scientist had rushed to find his key, and with Vegeta's help, had managed to get the door open. Both her parents had apologized profusely when they'd learned that she had been down there since before they had left on their trip and had attributed it to their excitement over getting away for a while.

After that, Bulma and Vegeta had each gone to their separate routines, while still keeping a rendezvous regularly at nighttime. Bulma had been so lonely since her and Yamcha's breakup and she welcomed the distraction and the no-strings attached fun. Their attitudes never changed, since they both enjoyed their constant verbal sparring matches. They also had both agreed that they would maintain their relationship a secret from everyone else. Neither of them felt anything particularly loving toward one another at the time, except for a deep lust and light caring (the latter on Bulma's side anyway) that they were sure wouldn't lead to anything permanent.

And then came Trunks.

Her pregnancy had come as a shock to them both, turning their lives upside down and forcing them to publicly admit their rapport, thus bonding them together for the rest of their lifetimes. Vegeta had been livid and had determined to have nothing to do with her or his son after that. Times had changed since then, however, and it certainly hadn't been so bad and they eventually grown to love each another deeply. That was, of course, what had led her to this very situation she was in. Biting her lower lip, she furrowed her brow as she though of how her son was here too.

She knew it was only a matter of time now because eventually someone would come for Trunks, Goten, and her. All her hopes were based on this.

Trunks and Goten…

How the hell had they gotten here! Had they been kidnapped before her? She closed her eyes and sighed. Kami be with them and keep them safe. Not that those two little rascals couldn't take care of themselves, but a gut feeling she had, kept telling her this place and these people were far from normal.

Where were they being taken?

Why?

She knew Vegeta had more than a hand full of enemies, but why Goten, then? Was it because he was also half-Saiyan? Bulma had long ago given up trying to escape since the small, square room she was in provided no means for a get away of any sort. Four plain white walls and a small bench in the back where she sat.

Nothing she could tinker with or do.

The rumbling inside her stomach reminded her that she was famished. It had been well over six hours since she had had her last meal and since she ate for two people, this was far too many. She was still thinking about her hunger when the door to her cell slipped open and the blue-skinned woman came in holding a tray of a smoking cuisine. She set the tray down next to Bulma and leaned back against the wall opposite to her to watch her eat. Bulma took one look at the delicious looking food and figured that if they had wanted to kill her they would already have, so there were no real chances of poisoning.

She had already ravaged down half of her food when she looked up to see the woman before her more closely. She looked fully recovered from the beating she had gotten from Vegeta. Her clothing had been change, but she still wore the same style: tube top with a small, sleeveless jacket decorated with beautiful patterns, and low cut, hip hugging pants, that opened in that strange Arabic style she had noticed before, over her sandals. Her hair was loosely braided and she carried herself with a sense of sovereignty that made Bulma think she belonged to high nobility.

Bulma looked away for a moment before setting her eating utensils down and asking her the question that had been eating at her mind for some time now. "Why? Why are we here? What do you want from us?"

Dalia looked down at Bulma and raised and eyebrow before replying. "It's nothing personal, I'm just following orders," she replied curtly.

Bulma set her food tray aside and stared at the beautiful alien woman before her. "From who? You don't look the type to just pick up random fights for the fun of it."

Dalia stood up straight. Sure, what the hell. "I don't believe you've met them, though I do think you'll recall the Namek incident?"

Bulma had been about to snap another question before closing her mouth in shock. "Freeza! You worked for Freeza? But he's dead now, so what is this? Some strange plan for revenge?"

Dalia smirked. This woman was completely clue less; not that she had any reason not to be. "As far as you know, he is…"

"What's that supposed to mean? He's dead! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Dalia narrowed her eyes and smiled again. "Not all things are what they seem."

Bulma began to feel more uncomfortable with the track this conversation was taking with every moment that passed. Freeza was dead, right? Vegeta had told her so and she had seen Future Trunks kill him from a distance. Not only this, but Vegeta had even gone as far to once comment that Freeza's entire family had gotten what they deserved. What was she talking about? He couldn't be alive! She looked at the alien again in confusion.

"Who are you? Who do you answer to?"

"My name is Dalia," she told the Earthling. "I already told you who one of my masters is. The other is his brother."

"But Freeza is dead! He and his entire damned family are dead!" Bulma exploded refusing to believe anything else. It couldn't be!

Dalia narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Watch you mouth, human. You won't be pregnant forever, you know, and it is by their orders you and your brat are kept alive."

Bulma place a protective hand over her large belly and glared at Dalia. "Stay away from my baby!" she snarled, motherly instincts kicking in.

"Not your decision, I'm afraid," Dalia replied cruelly. "And I'd finish eating if I were you. I'm taking that plate of food soon, so hurry."

Bulma felt herself turn cold. They weren't after her; they were after the kids! No! She wouldn't let them take her baby even if she had to force it to stay inside. Not her little girl… She suddenly lost all her appetite.

Trunks.

He was out there, alone. Dear god, Goten too! This was sounding more and more like Freeza every second. They were after the Saiyan children. She felt like living a nightmare suddenly and prayed for someone to come rescue them if she couldn't find a way to escape.

"Well? Aren't you going to finish?" Dalia spoke into her thoughts.

Bulma looked up to her in no effort to hide the dread she was feeling. "Please! Not the children! Do anything to me, but leave the kids alone."

Dalia raised an amused eyebrow. Freeza and Koola had long ago finished beating what little compassion she had left out of her. She had been to Hell and back in each of their little training sessions and had learned to grow cold to all emotion. She had to, especially when she came back half dead from every one of them. 'Mercy' was a word long ago forgotten in her vocabulary, but she didn't care.

"Not my choice to make either," she replied emotionlessly and moved to pick up Bulma's forgotten tray of food. Bulma watched feeling something inside her shatter as Dalia exited the room without another word. Anxiety and fear began to consume her slowly as she considered the possibilities. She knew she couldn't begin to imagine what they could go through and felt a pang of pain for Vegeta since he did. Bulma had never met Freeza, and though she had experienced curiosity on meeting him, all of it died under these circumstances.

She had to get out. Somehow, she just had to.

~oOo~

The sound of a wrench clattering on the ground was magnified a few thousand times than in the utter silence. Combined with the tension felt by everyone, the sound of the tool hitting the floor made Krillin jump nearly three feet in the air. He received a prompt glare from an already irritated Vegeta, which made Krillin nod an apology and turn away from him, quickly jogging down the entrance ramp of the ship to meet up with the rest of his friends that waited outside.

"Well?" Gohan asked. "Any progress?"

"I'm not sure," replied Krillin, the look on his face suggesting that he didn't want to go back in to find out either. "Vegeta's in charge and he was looking kinda scary. I had to get out before he got any ideas."

"I can't say I blame him. I know I'd be the same way if my entire family had been kidnapped," Yamcha said thoughtfully.

"And by the creature that held him for so many years, no less," added Gohan. "Poor Bulma. With a baby on the way and everything…"

Krillin's eyes widened and he glanced back toward the ship. "Don't say that too loud. I don't want to remind Vegeta of why he's so pissed."

Gohan sighed in half amusement, half exasperation. "You guys stay here. I'm going to speak with Dr. Briefs."

He walked up the ramp, ducking under the hatch entrance and glancing around when he reached the inside of the ship. It was spacious enough; Gohan figured the lot of them would fit, even if a bit cramped. He spotted the scientist on the far end of the ship, on his back under a pile of machinery, presumably making adjustments. Vegeta stood by Dr. Briefs with his arms crossed, looking with disguised interest at what the company owner was doing. A characteristic scowl adorned his face as he impatiently and visibly clenched his jaw.

"Dr. Briefs, Vegeta," Gohan greeted as he made his way over scattered tools all throughout the floor. He stood a few feet away from them, conscious of what Krillin had warned about Vegeta's mood. Instead, Gohan averted his gaze from Vegeta and pretended to study the piece of machinery Dr. Briefs was laboring on. "Have you managed to do anything with it, Dr. Briefs?"

He heard a shuffle of fabric and then Dr. Brief's head poked out from underneath. "Oh, yes, lots!" he exclaimed. "I'm rather surprised at how similar to my own technologies it is. I've learned a lot also; it's fascinating how…"

"Yes, yes," Vegeta interrupted. "How long is this going to take?"

"So impatient, Vegeta," Dr. Briefs told him as he turned back to his work.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed dangerously, making Gohan nervously take a step forward, in case he was planning on anything stupid. But Vegeta simply bared his teeth and replied in a calm manner through clenched teeth, "Your own daughter's life is at stake here."

"I'm just as worried about Bulma as you are," Dr. Briefs said. "But acting irrationally isn't going to solve anything."

Vegeta growled deep in his throat and Gohan could once again see his jaw clenching and unclenching in what he had learned was Vegeta's way of keeping his temper in check. "We all are," Gohan spoke up. "Which is why we need to know when the ship will available."

"Well, the ship itself is in excellent condition," Dr. Briefs explained. "It can fly perfectly and your friend who brought it in to Earth confirmed it. However, most of its landing gears seem to be stuck inside. When he tried to release them, the lifts wouldn't come out, which is why he crashed-landed. I've managed to fix the gear itself since there wasn't much wrong with it and now I'm fixing its connections with the controls inside the ship."

"And that will take…" prompted Gohan.

"About another hour or so," answered the scientist.

Gohan nodded. He then turned to Vegeta and reached out to touch his arm in order to get his attention, but thought better of it. "Vegeta, maybe you should come outside with us. Some fresh air might do you some good."

"I'll be staying right here until the old man finishes the repairs."

Gohan opened his mouth to further convince him, but refrained, knowing it would be futile. He nodded in reluctant agreement and turned to leave the ship. Once outside, the cold night air of the desert assaulted his senses.

"What did he say?" Tenshinhan asked.

"Not long now. I guess we should start getting our bearings together… and we need to know who will be going besides me, my dad, and Vegeta."

"I will," said Piccolo.

"Me, too," added Kaio-shin.

Paikuhan and Ailill nodded in agreement. Krillin volunteered rather reluctantly, as opposed to the firm accord Gohan received from Videl and Dende.

"No way," Gohan and Piccolo objected at the same time to the individuals respectively.

"You'll need my help!" Videl exclaimed. "Besides, I'm not letting you go anywhere where you might not be coming back from alone."

"And I am the guardian of this planet. It is my duty to protect it. For years you have been doing this and I think it is time I contributed as well," Dende debated.

"It's too dangerous," Piccolo replied. "For both of you. You'll just get in the way."

"You need my healing powers! Lord Kaio-shin has been stripped of all his power and you need me to do this. There are barely any senzu beans left, remember?" Dende said.

"Yeah, yeah," Kaio-shin muttered crossings his arms over his chest and turning around looking a bit childish in doing so. "Don't remind me." He got a few sympathetic smiles from the people around him who had witnessed his failed attempts at healing and clothing Ailill.

"He's right," Krillin said. "It would be useful."

"Videl—" Gohan began.

"I don't care what you say. I'm going."

Gohan sighed, knowing what a determined Videl was like. "Fine."

"Chouzu and I would get in the way," Tenshihan spoke up.

"So would I," Yamcha said. "I'm not a fighter anymore, I'd be useless."

Juuhachigou pulled Krillin aside and looked him hard in the eye. "So would you, you know," she told him. "Why the hell would you want to go with them?"

Krillin pursed his lips in thought, wondering that very thing himself. He certainly was afraid of the white lizard. "Maybe I can't stand in a fight with Freeza or Koola. But, hey, I might be able to get at least one punch without getting the shit kicked out of me, right?" He smiled weakly.

Juuhachigou raised an eyebrow. "You're insane."

"But he is good to have in a tight spot," Gohan intervened. "Don't worry, Juuhachi, we'll try to take good care of him."

Juuhachigou glanced down at her husband for a moment before turning her head away. "Just come back in one piece, okay?" At that, Krillin grinned. "I'll stay here with Marron," she added as an afterthought.

"All right, it's settled, then…" Gohan said.

"No, it's not," a female voice said from behind him.

Everyone turned around to find a sheepish-looking Goku and an angry Chichi standing not too far from the ship. "Sorry guys," said Goku. "She threatened me with a frying pan and no food if I didn't bring her here."

"And a good thing I did, too!" Chichi cried. "My Goten has been kidnapped and you expect me to sit here and wait while my husband and other son go after him alone?"

"Mom…"

"Don't you 'Mom' me, young man!" Chichi interrupted. "I'm going too."

"Chichi, I don't think that's such a hot idea," Goku told his wife. "It's going to be really dangerous…"

"I don't care!"

"But, Chichi," Puaru spoke up next. "You don't have the fighting p—"

"Shut up, you good for nothing flying cat!" Chichi exclaimed, turning a hard glare on Puaru. "You have no idea what it's like to have your baby taken from you!"

Puaru shrunk away from the raging woman, while Yamcha stepped forward with a placating look on his scarred face. "You'd be just as good in the field as I'd be, Chichi."

"I. Don't. Care!" she cried again. "This is the second time a son of mine gets kidnapped by a power-hungry evil monster."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at her, but chose to remain quiet at the insult.

"Chichi," Dende said softly. "Perhaps you should listen to their pleas. We don't need any more unnecessary losses. We'll try to be back safely with everyone."

"Try is not good enough!" Chichi replied angrily.

"There is just no guarantee of our safety," Kaio-shin told her gently. "But we don't need to add anymore responsibilities to the mix. Please understand."

Chichi looked from Dende to Kaio-shin for a long moment before finally nodding in an unwilling acceptance. She then hugged Gohan and Videl each, murmuring goodbyes. Turning to Goku, she pointed a finger at his chest. "You'd better come back, mister!"

"You bet!" Goku exclaimed. "I don't know what I'd do without your cooking!"

Everyone sweat-dropped.

~oOo~

"These are the infamous Dragonballs?"

Dalia and Coran kneeled before the thrones before them while the two Glai'keel-jin royalties inspected their price. As soon as they had docked, the prisoners had been taken to the dungeons and they had been escorted to Freeza and Koola. The N'ree base had been built deep into the greatest of seven moons that orbited the fifth planet of said system. It had been strategically constructed there because the moon was mostly a ball of iron and rock: the perfect underground fortress.

"Yes, sire," Dalia answered looking up at Koola who then passed the chest containing the seven orange orbs to his younger brother.

Freeza's face was skeptical as soon as he received the parcel. He reached into the chest and held the one-star ball into his porcelain hand. He toyed with it a few seconds before turning his attention to Dalia again. "The Dragonballs I remember were much bigger. Where did you get these?"

"Earth, Lord Freeza," Dalia answered. "They are smaller than the Namek set. And they only have the power to grant two wishes."

"Two is plenty," Koola spoke. "But I'm intrigued. You mean that there are two sets of Dragonballs?"

"There was another in Namek, but that planet was destroyed," Dalia replied.

"But the Namekians are alive," Koola said turning to his brother. "I ran into a planet full of the green vermin on my travels. Surely they too have a set there."

"Oh," Freeza uttered. "Yes… I remember the little green insect came back from the dead after I killed him. Surely others did too."

"It's worth looking into," Koola said turning back to Dalia and Coran. "Which reminds me… in your absence, one of the prisoners managed to break free on his cell and escape. We haven't been able to recapture him, but that isn't what bothers me. Freeza checked for his record and it was empty. Do you know who it was?"

Dalia turned her face to Coran and saw him stiffen noticeably. She knew who the only person they hadn't filed a report for was, but it wasn't her place to say so.

"Forgive me Lord Koola," Coran said. "The one who escape was my opposite energy. He's the other one that made it possible to bring the two of you back."

There was a few seconds silence before anyone spoke again.

"Opposite energy?" Freeza spoke. "Coran, was he another wizard?"

"Yes, my lord."

"A wizard… And your opposite force… Was it your twin brother, Coran."

Coran nodded.

"I'm not interested in family trees," Koola spoke up. "But I do remember a specific incident. The two of you were High Priest of your home world, and while you did submit to out rule he did not. The little troublemaker even managed to get the political government involved. He and the king of Konack-sei were pretty good friends, as I recall. They even succeeded in gathering a largely impressive resistance force… Which was crushed, of course. Thanks to you." Koola stood up and walked to the nearest window that displayed a view of the part of the underground facility. "If I remember correctly, last I heard was that the Konack-jin king had been killed and that the remaining High Priest had taken charge of both the religious and political governments since the king had no heir yet." He turned to Coran to confirm his words.

"Yes, Lord Koola," Coran said. "Ailill has been in charge of Konack-sei ever since."

"He was spared because we thought we might have some use for him in the future," Freeza added leaning forwards in his throne. "But our patience runs short. He has already served his purpose and though he was left to live, he runs off to brew more trouble."

"I'll find him and bring him back, my lords," Coran said standing.

"No need," Koola answered. "He'll eventually come to us. I thinks it's obvious were he went to." The older Prince of Glai'keel-sei crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to the window. "Earth."

There was silence for a moment, but before anyone could reply, the doors to the thrown room burst open and in ran an out-of-breath dungeon guard.

"Sire!" he screamed. "We cannot control it! It's killed an entire squad and blasted half the dungeons!"

"Fools!" Coran cried turning briskly towards him. "You didn't put the two kids together, did you?"

The guard made a move to answer but Coran gathered it all from his face. "I left specific orders when we docked to keep all the prisoners separated!"

"I… I—" The guard suddenly gagged and took a few steps backwards, horror written all over his face. Dalia narrowed her eyes, and then noticed the smoking hole in his chest and the blood that began gushing out of it. She turned back to the throne and saw Freeza was now standing still pointing a finger at the dying guard.

"That's for barging in uninvited," Freeza said. "And this is for your stupidity." He gathered a ki ball just above his index finger and fired it mercilessly at the dying guard. There was a sudden explosion from where the guard had been, but all that was left of him when the smoke gave away was a black scorch on the floor.

"All right then," Koola said walking towards Coran and Dalia followed closely by Freeza. "What's this about kids?"

"The Saiyan's children," Dalia said mentally kicking herself for not paying more attention to the ki around her.

"Children?"

"Yes," she answered. All of them were already making their way down to the dungeons. "Vegeta and Son Goku's sons."


	7. Rebirth of Destruction

"Fu… sion… Ha!"

The squadron of guards that had been struggling to control the two newly brought prisoners froze. The two golden hair boys performed a series of funny looking dance steps and were engulfed in a flash of light. Most of them took a few steps back as a precaution while the light dimmed away then stared astonished at the sight before them: instead of two boys there was a new one.

"How dare you keep me here!" it exclaimed suddenly. "I'm really pissed now!"

He let out a challenging shout and lunged himself at the guard nearest to him. The poor being didn't stand a chance. Before he knew how to react, he had been snapped in half by the golden projectile. Gotenks turned around a full circle and released multiple ki attacks at the shocked spectators. He powered up in a sudden burst of yellow aura and flew straight through the nearest wall into the next room.

"Get reinforcements!" one of the surviving guards screamed as he and the other ones left alive ran after the Super Saiyan.

Gotenks whirled around suddenly and narrowed his eyes at the dozens of people running towards him armed.

"Enough!" he screamed powering up even more. The shock wave sent several of the closest guards crashing into the walls. The room grew impossibly bright and the only thing that could be heard was the single scream of the Saiyan boy. Not fully recovered from the previous shock the guards were met with another: the boy had now physically changed. His eyes had slanted upwards and were crowned by an eyebrow-less crest. His sun colored hair had doubled in length and now reached his heels.

Gotenks finished his transformation and glared at his attackers. For endless days he had been kept captive. Both his components had struggled and fought with all their strengths to escape the strange prison that had been imposed on them without success. It had been only recently that their jailer had passed them on to someone else and finally left. They had at last found themselves free to act fighting individually at first, but later deciding not to take any chances and fuse.

He had been born this time out of their desperation of escaping, and that was exactly what he intended to do. He'd escape and crush anyone who'd get in the way. To ensure furthermore his success, he had powered up to Super Saiyan three. No one and nothing would stop him now. Fueled by his determination he charged once again sparing no one or nothing in his path.

~oOo~

"How could they let this happen!" Coran was saying as he and Dalia sprinted ahead. "I specifically told them… I warned those idiots about the kids!"

Dalia bit her bottom lip. The power of the fusion was hard to miss, but now it had suddenly grown and blown her expectations out of proportion. She took a second to pause in mid-stride and power up to her maximum.

Coran turned and looked at her in horror. "You aren't planning on fighting that thing, are you?" By now Dalia's hair had gone silver. She stared at him with emotionless emerald eyes and flew on without a word.

"Dammit, Dalia! It's insane!" he called out doing his best to keep up with her incredible speed. Led by the numerous explosions, they finally reached the newly remodeled dungeon, courtesy of Gotenks. Coran stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide at the extent of the destruction in the place. Most of the walls and a few floors had caved in, so now a giant arena-like stance was left. In the bottom of the crater, a single golden light could be seen still blasting people and objects to oblivion.

Dalia methodically examined the damage. "If he goes on at this rate, he'll blow a hole on the outer wall and all the air will be sucked out into space," she spoke.

Coran turned to her quickly realizing the truth of her words.

"Contain him in this area," she told him closing both hands into fist and floating above him.

Coran swore, but did as told. He closed his eyes and powered up suddenly surrounded by a fiery aura that on his command stretched out to the walls around them bathing them in the fire of his ki. He muttered a few words only his kind could understand and saw how the sea of fire around them went solid.

Dalia nodded her acknowledgments and lunged herself down to meet the Saiyan transformation. Gotenks whirled around feeling the new and powerful ki behind him. He jumped out of the way just as Dalia smashed down with all her strength in to the spot he had previously occupied.

"Damnit!" Gotenks said and prepared himself for a more worthy battle. Dalia charged again and the met in mid air to engaged in a rapid exchange of blows. Gotenks broke contact for a second and Dalia took the opportunity to fly upwards. She glanced down at the Super Fusion before closing her hands into fist and powering up again. Gotenks clenched his jaw as he felt her ki rise.

"Shit…" he muttered. "She's as strong as I am…"

Koola and Freeza arrived shortly afterwards and stood next to Coran watching the fight.

"He's a… Super Saiyan!" Freeza cried out, his eyes wide, suddenly re-living a nightmare.

"Impressive," Koola muttered staring at Gotenks. "For his age, his power is incredible."

"He's not only a Super Saiyan, but a fusion. The two children have transformed into that," Coran told them, fists clenched.

"Why did they stop fighting?" Koola thought aloud.

Coran looked at Dalia and saw the stunt she was pulling. She had copied the fusion's power level, greatly confusing him in the process. This way, though his strength was far superior, Dalia had the psychological advantage. Coran saw that neither Koola nor Freeza were wearing a scouter, although a scouter would never be able to read the power levels coming from these two.

"Dalia!" Koola's voice boomed in the sudden silence. "That's enough."

Dalia turned to look at the Glai'keel-jin prince and immediately back way to stand next to them. Gotenks followed her with his eyes until he was met with the rest of the group. He could immediately tell that these were the strongest fighters in the entire vicinity.

"Most impressive display," Koola called at him raising a few feet into the air. "I must say, I never expected such display of strength from a Saiyan brat."

Gotenks narrowed his eyes and levitated to his level since it was obvious he was in command.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Koola continued. "I am known as Koola, son Kold, the King of Glai'keel-sei, and this is my brother Freeza who shares the respective titles."

Suddenly snapped back into reality and forced out of the ocean of anger and hate reborn at the sight of a Super Saiyan, Freeza gave his brother a questioning look. He soon saw where Koola was going with the charade and decided to join him in mid air.

"How dare you…" Gotenks started but Koola brought up an appeasing hand.

"I hope you know we do not appreciate rowdy guests," he continued. "And blasting this place to Hell won't get you anywhere."

"I remember you now," Gotenks said. "The two of you… My father and brother have told me about you! Why should I not finish you off!" His aura intensified and the wall around them hummed and vibrated under the pressure.

Koola chuckled. "Go on," he said. "Try to blast this moon away, but like I said, you'll only gain your own death in the process."

"But you'll be joining me!" Gotenks cried out sending and shock wave of aura that drove them a few feet back.

"We can breathe in space," Koola said simply, looking down at Dalia and Coran.

"Besides," Freeza added with a smirk. "Blowing up your own mother would be naughty."

Gotenks was about to say something but closed his mouth. "Mama's here too?!" he finally spoke looking around earnestly. "You brought her here too?"

"Yes," Freeza told him. "Until she and your little sibling go down to King Enma when you collapse a wall on top of her."

Gotenks clenched his fists and shut his eyes tight. They could all tell he was trying to keep in aura under control if only to prevent his mother from dying. Coran narrowed his eyes and began to shrink the perimeter he had formed with his ki to enclose the fusion. Gotenks looked up and noticed the wizard's proceedings. He glared down at Coran and sent a shock wave with his aura to the barrier that was closing in on him. Coran smirked as the energy wave simply bounced back towards the boy who looked around in confusion before letting out a sudden yelp of surprise and pain when the countered blast hit him.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Gotenks challenged.

" You don't," Koola said with a smile. "But are you willing to risk it?"

"So you see," Freeza continued bringing up a finger at him. "Tantrums will get you no where, monkey brat. Now be a good boy and cooperate."

Gotenks screamed and started pounding on all sides of the shrinking walls making them tremble with each blow.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold him…" Coran muttered while concentrating hard on the spell. Dalia bit her lower lip and looked up at the super fusion knowing that if it were to break free, they'd be in deep shit. To her surprise, just as Gotenks threw himself at one of the walls, there was a bright flash of light and a very startled purple and black hair boy right afterwards.

"Damnit…" Gotenks muttered glaring at them.

"The power up is over," Coran said feeling extremely relieved. "I'll have no problem with this one."

"Oh my," Freeza spoke. "What happened to your golden hair?"

"Let's sit back and watch the show," Koola suggested moving towards the confined Gotenks. "At ease, Dalia."

Dalia nodded and powered down to her normal form noticing the fusion's power sank with each passing second. It was only a few more minutes before the frustrated Gotenks turned into a very frustrated Goten and Trunks.

"Well, well… What have we here?" Freeza said mockingly. "Are these the kids you spoke of, Coran?"

"Yes," the sorcerer replied breaking the cell into two individual cubicles.

"They certainly resemble their fathers, don't you think so, Brother?" Freeza said examining them more closely.

"Oh don't worry," Trunks sneered. "You'll see the resemblance soon enough. Just wait 'till we get out of here!"

Freeza chuckled. "Son of Vegeta, I presume?" he said. "That attitude got your father nowhere, unless you are willing to share his fate…?" Freeza's eyes suddenly flashed in recognition. "It was you wasn't it? But you were older…"

"What was that Freeza?" Koola asked from besides him.

"He's the one that killed Papa and I," he answered. "This is . . . fascinating."

Trunks took and involuntary step back pressured by the Ice-jin's penetrating glare.

"Trunks …" Goten asked softly. "What do we do now?"

Trunks bit his bottom lip. "Damnit…"

~oOo~

"LET…ME… OUT!"

Bulma frantically pounded her fists against the steel door. Who the hell did these people think they were? She no longer cared if it really was Freeza she was dealing with; this was an outrage. Bulma had been escorted to her new quarters by half a squadron of guards that had made any movement she had attempted an impossibility. She took a step away from the door and sighed in exasperation. To make things worse, she had heard and felt explosions close by minutes before, increasing her worry over Goten and Trunks, which had been steadily increasing the last few weeks.

Her captors had fed and clothed her providing her with all the essentials she needed to survive and maybe even a few luxuries along the way, but she knew the dark intentions behind the good deeds. She had spent her everyday during her journey plotting a way to escape. Her anxiety and worry had grown to a point that it no longer mattered who was behind all this, she was ready to give him or her a piece of her mind. No one could hurt her children and get away with it.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" she screamed to no one in particular. "Let me out, dammit!" She was ready to throw her entire weight at the door, but then felt that subtle kick coming from inside her belly. Bulma bit her bottom lip and caressed it softly. "I'm working on it, sweetheart…" she whispered softly panting from the exertion of yelling. She sighed in frustration before throwing herself onto the bed in the far corner of the room.

"I've got to get out of here…" she muttered staring at the ceiling. She sat up again and looked around. This room wasn't fancily decorated, but it looked comfortable. It had no windows or any other wall decorations, yet the furniture it had almost gave it a cozy look. It had a dresser with a looking glass and a small desk on the far corner opposite to the bed she sat on as well as a door that she assumed led into the bathroom. This was no hotel room, but it wasn't a dungeon cell either. She stood up and walked towards the dresser. Checking the drawers, she noticed they had a full stash of clothing that proved to be her size. Others were filled with books and other entertainment items. Regretfully, she could use none of the provided material to help her escape.

"What the hell is this?" she mused out loud.

"My masters wanted you to be comfortable."

Bulma whirled around and saw that Dalia had silently entered the room and was now setting down a tray of food on the desk.

"I'd be gracious of their hospitality."

Bulma glared at her then noticed that another two servants had entered the room and were apparently checking to see that all was in order.

"Tell your masters," Bulma spat out with disgust. "That I'd like a word with them. Who the hell do they think they are?!"

Dalia grinned. At her words, the two servants froze and turned towards her with a curious look on their faces.

"She has an attitude problem, I see," one of the mused.

"Reminds me of Vegeta when he was young," the other replied. "Goodness, they're made for each other."

"Oh shut up!" Bulma exploded. "I've had enough of this! I want to speak with them right now!

"Temper, temper…" the darker one of the two said chuckling. "Don't you appreciate what they are doing for you? After all, this room is comfortable and it should suit your necessities just fine."

"Like shit I do," Bulma raged. "Like getting kidnapped out of my home planet by some power-crazed lunatics is what I've always wanted!"

"My, aren't we feisty," the other muttered walking back towards the door. "Dalia-san, make sure our guest is as comfortable as possible. We wouldn't want her unborn child to suffer any for her rashness, now would we?"

"Definitely not," said the other catching up to him. "Children shouldn't pay for their parents mistakes, after all, but this isn't a perfect world."

"Yes, sire," Dalia answered nodding her head. The two creatures exited the room leaving the women alone for the time.

"Well," Bulma said glaring at the spot they had just been at. "Don't they think highly of themselves? With servants like those, I can't imagine what big assholes their superiors must be."

Dalia looked up at her without being able to contain her amusement. "You have no idea who they were, do you?" she asked walking back towards the door.

"Should I care?" Bulma snapped sitting on her bed. "And tell your masters I want a word with them."

"But you just had one too many," Dalia told her. "You're lucky they're in a good mood."

"Wha—" Bulma gasped. "But… they were…they're dead!"

"They seemed pretty alive to me," Dalia said turning to exit the room. "Congratulations on that first impression."

Bulma's jaw dropped. "That was… They were…"

"I thought you should know," Dalia called from the other side of the open door. "I'll bring you food three times a day and doctors will check up on your pregnancy from time to time. If you need anything of importance, let me know."

"But…" Bulma started, but Dalia had already closed and locked the door behind her.

Bulma collapsed on her bed. That was Freeza? And, what had she called the other one? Koola? They were the tyrants of the universe on whose name whole worlds trembled? Thinking back one what they had said the few seconds they had been in the room, she could tell who was who.

Freeza…

So that was the creature that had tormented Vegeta so many years before. But he was so… could she say beautiful? She felt her hairs stand on end. That porcelain looking being was nothing like the muscle-bound brute she had been expecting. He looked… innocent…?

No.

She remembered the strange fire in his ruby eyes and felt a chill go down her back. That creature was anything but innocent. Neither of them was. She recalled the two creatures again, but this time seeing them with new eyes. Appearances were deceiving, but eyes couldn't lie. Someone had once told her that when you looked into someone's eyes, you could see their soul reflected there. What she remembered was terrifying. How could she have been so stupid! She had been blinded by her anger and hadn't noticed they had come here to mock her.

Suddenly her amazement was replaced by cold fear. Kami protect the kids that were out there under the mercy of these tyrants.

~oOo~

Dalia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully considering the blinking red dot on the radar that had been approaching their base for the last few days.

"What is the status, Dalia?" she heard Koola ask from behind her.

Dalia turned to face the two Glai'keel-jin before replying. "They've made excellent time, my lord. It's obvious now they didn't use an Earthling space craft."

"Do you think they might be using one of our own?" Koola asked moving one of the pieces in the game he was playing with his brother.

"Yes, Lord Koola," she replied. "Probably the one Coran's brother use to escape. Your predictions were correct."

Koola nodded but kept his eyes on Freeza's next move. The game they were playing was of strategy, known throughout the universe for as long as anyone could remember. It consisted on two rows of various-shaped figures on a checkered board. Each could be move a certain way across the two-color squares from diagonally, to in every direction, and even making an 'L'. The idea of the game was to check the other player's 'king' figurine without letting him check yours.

Freeza narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at Koola's last move before making his. "Check," Koola announced moving his bishop into the appropriate spot.

"How long until they land?" Freeza asked momentarily looking up from the game.

"A few hours," Dalia replied.

She looked over to where Coran was standing and found him studying once again the film the security cameras had captured on the two Saiyan brats fusing. She still didn't know why, but he had spent a lot of time staring at the recording and mumbling to himself. Dalia had shrugged it off figuring it was another of those things Coran did that seemed completely pointless, but then proved useful. She grinned. Last time he had one of those little projects, he had discovered how to release both their masters from the world of the dead. He understood himself. Whatever Coran was up to, she'd know at its due time.

"Do we have a welcoming committee yet?" Freeza asked moving while switching his 'king' with his 'tower' piece.

"Yes, sire." Dalia said. She narrowed her eyes at the game board noticing the way the two brothers played. Koola moved his 'queen' from where it was to threatening Freeza's own 'queen'.

"That's the way it goes…" Freeza muttered absentmindedly. "You set the bait for them," he said moving his knight forwards, "And then strike when they unsuspectingly take it. Check-mate."

Koola froze for a moment then narrowed his eyes looking for a way to strike back before sitting back in his chair. He smirked while knocking his 'king' down. "Very good play, Freeza," he said chuckling. "Very good game."

Freeza's dark lips curled slightly. "Same here," he replied. He then turned to Dalia and Coran. "The two of you know what to do."

Coran turned from his contemplation to face them. "Yes, my lord."

Dalia nodded in agreement.

"Very well then," Freeza spoke standing. "Let our game begin."

~oOo~

"Well, that was interesting," Krillin muttered as he set foot on the ground. "Remind me never to travel with Vegeta again."

Vegeta glowered at him as he too stepped out of the ship, adjusting the gloves on his spacesuit. "Nobody forced you to come along, baldy," he told him. "You could have all stayed behind, for all I care."

"Now is not the time, Vegeta," Piccolo came next. "Bickering will only be a setback."

The group gradually stepped out of the ship, taking in their bleak surroundings warily. They had been dutifully following Ailill's trajectory to Glai'keel-sei when an urgent voice had echoed into their minds. It had been none other than King Kai, who had quickly warned them that Freeza was not headed toward his home planet. Instead, they had chosen a decoy location on a far moon. Immediately, the group had changed their course to the new location.

Said moon was no more than a piece of hard rock with craters and no atmosphere. As a result, they each had to sport a spacesuit in order to be able to breathe. Dr. Briefs had insisted on installing the suits, much to Vegeta's disapproval, and now it turned out they were going to need them.

The base where King Kai had informed them Freeza was at was actually on the other side of the planet. Upon arrival, Vegeta and Piccolo had decided to land the ship as far away from the base as possible, so as to avoid unnecessary attention. Ailill had happily complied, relieved beyond belief when his ship actually landed smoothly on the firm surface.

As the group had left the ship, Piccolo had adamantly insisted Dende stay behind while he and the others went outside to check for any abnormalities. Now Dende poked his head out of the hatch meekly, watching with interest as his companions discussed a plan of action.

"Piccolo-san?" he called. "Is it all right for me to come out now?"

Reluctantly, Piccolo nodded, allowing the little god to set foot on the moon. Dende blinked up at them questioningly. "What are we waiting for?"

"For Piccolo to stop acting like your mother and get the hell moving," Vegeta commented with irritation as he started pacing away.

Piccolo glared at him but followed motioning for the others to do so as well. Having been reminded a thousand times while on board not do bring attention on to themselves with their power levels, no one took flight. Instead they set out on a fast sprint.

"So what'll we do when we get there?" Krillin asked.

"We'll have to divide into groups and search for Bulma and the kids," Piccolo informed him. "The base will probably spread over a few miles."

"Freeza's bases on average are quite extensive," Vegeta added. "It would take a few hours to explore it on foot."

"Great," Krillin muttered. "I'm sure we're all looking forward to that."

It took about an hour, but the group finally reached their destination. After having gone through the trouble of leaving the ship on the other side of the planet, they decided they'd at least try to get inside the compound unnoticed. As per Vegeta's suggestion—which was usually expressed as a demand—they looked for some sort of a back entrance. It turned out not too hard to find said threshold, though it did come as a surprise that it was protected by such a large amount of guards, considering that it was an "unknown" entrance.

"It looks like Freeza and Koola are expecting guests," Vegeta muttered.

"Maybe I can use my Instant Transmission technique to get around them," Goku suggested. "It would save us some trouble…"

"Try it, Dad," Gohan told him.

Goku closed his eyes and frowned in concentration as he put two fingers to his forehead. He opened his eyes, only to find himself in the same place. "That's weird," he muttered. "It doesn't work."

Kaio-shin sighed. "They probably have some sort of block on any sort of telepathy," he said. "The same thing happened to me back on Earth."

"We'll just have to do it the old fashioned way, then," Krillin replied.

"I'll wipe out the guards," Vegeta said, as he made his way forward.

"Quietly," Kaio-shin called after him. "We don't want to inform the entire base that we're here."

Vegeta ignored his comment, blurring in and out as he snuck up behind the guards and knocked them out. Before Vegeta could have all the fun, though, Goku followed closely behind and took out his share of guards as well.

"It seems that perhaps Freeza has underestimated me," Vegeta said.

Well, he did kill you… thought Krillin, but wisely opted for keeping that particular bit of information to himself as he and the group stepped forward to meet Goku and Vegeta.

"So what do we do now?" asked Goku.

"I don't give a damn about what you do," Vegeta said turning away from them and starting inside. "Just keep out of my way."

Goku stared after him for a moment, before turning his gaze to meet Piccolo's. Piccolo nodded almost imperceptibly and motioned for Dende to follow him, together following Vegeta into the compound.

"I don't think it's safe for them to go alone," murmured Kaio-shin worriedly.

"Nah, it'll be alright," Goku replied. "Piccolo can handle Vegeta. Gohan, you take Videl and Lord Kaio-shin. The rest of you come with me. We'll meet back here in about an hour and a half. Just remember to keep your ki down. We don't want to be found before we get to find the others."

They each divided into their respective teams and crept inside the compound, mindful of watching eyes or stray guards. Once they entered, Ailill hurried to keep in stride with Goku.

"That Vegeta is pretty intense, huh?" he murmured nervously.

~oOo~

As Vegeta stalked down a hall, he spared a glance behind him just in time to see the two Namekians on his heels. He scowled at them, hurrying his pace as if trying to get away from them.

"I thought I said I was going alone," he spat.

"That's fine, Vegeta, we're right behind you," Piccolo answered. "Just making sure you don't get yourself into trouble."

"Unlike the little brat," Vegeta replied angrily, "I don't need a babysitter."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at Vegeta's back, but restrained himself from any sort of attack. "You could've fooled me," said Piccolo, "with that attitude of a spoiled three-year-old."

Vegeta stopped abruptly and whirled around. "You're lucky we can't use our ki, Namekian, or you'd be back at King Enma's by now."

Piccolo regarded him coolly before a smirk appeared on his face. "I suppose I am, then."

Without another word, Vegeta continued on his way.

~oOo~

Their footsteps echoed loudly in the long corridor, a steady sound in the otherwise cold environment. The lack of sound served only to increase the already thick tension that grated on Ailill's enhanced nerves, making his eyes dart around nervously, as if he expected something horrible to jump at him any second.

"Relax," Goku's voice broke through his thoughts, causing him to gasp loudly and jump a few feet in the air. Goku chuckled in amusement and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I doubt Freeza or Koola will be around here right now."

"I know," Ailill responded once his breathing had gone back to normal. "It's not them I'm worried about right now." He stopped and narrowed his eyes at something unseen by any of them. "I have a feeling my brother is near somewhere."

Krillin scratched the back of his head nervously. "How near are we talking here?"

"I can't pinpoint his exact location, but I can tell he's in our vicinity," Ailill said.

"I take it the two of you have a shady past," Paikuhan commented.

"You could say that," Ailill answered. "We used to be close, but… let's just say we differed in our way of thinking, especially when it came to joining Freeza's so-called empire. When Coran left, I severed the mental connection we had, for the safety of our planet. It… was a painful process. For both of us."

"Connection? You mean you were psychic?" Paikuhan asked.

Ailill furrowed his brow slightly. "I guess you could say we were, but term 'psychic' would leave a lot of what it truly was out." At Paikuhan's obvious confusion, Ailill continued. "We were born twins, but besides the natural link that such brotherhood brings, we were also mages. This fact alone was enough to join us in a way that would be impossible to explain." He sighed. "I knew how good or bad he felt before he even was aware of the emotion himself, and vice-versa. To break that bond… It felt as if my soul got ripped in half. To know that it had been I that had torn it was like a thorn bleeding my mind dry. To know what was lost…"

"You mustn't be so hard on yourself," the taller being told him fondly. "After all, you said it was for the safety of your world. It had to be done."

Ailill nodded. "Yes… but when you're a twin, you see the other every time you look in the mirror…" He closed his eyes as if blinking away bitter memories. "After Coran left, I felt as if I was going to go mad. My whole world crumbled shortly afterwards. The planet was torn by civil wars and eventually my worse fears came to be… Coran used his magic to counter my own; there was nothing I, or any of the other priests could do to protect our home. We were invaded. Most of the leaders killed; our peaceful world… shattered." He stopped for a moment losing himself in his thoughts. "That was the last time I saw him, until recently of course."

"Blood ties aren't always equivalent to love," Paikuhan told him solemnly.

"Tell me about it!" Goku spoke up as he remembered his own first encounter with his brother Radditz. A light scratching noise interrupted him from saying anything else. His head instinctively snapped up to the direction of the sound and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Wait here, guys," he said, already moving in the general direction of the noise.

Krillin, not loving the thought of being left alone with a psycho and a dead guy, hurried after Goku. Paikuhan opted for staying behind with Ailill, knowing the man was not in a state to be unaccompanied.

"What do you suppose that was?" Ailill asked Paikuhan curiously.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of Freeza's minions," Paikuhan replied thoughtfully, his back turned to Ailill, still looking guardedly in the direction Goku and Krillin had gone in.

Ailill bit his lower lip, frowning in thought. Something just wasn't how it should be. He felt as if he had been handed a puzzle that was a few pieces short of being complete. If he could only find…

His eyes widened and his mouth formed an "O". A loud gasp reverberated in his chest as if the wind had been knocked out of him. In the blink of an eye, he was suddenly somewhere else. He brought a hand to his head, and looked around with a deep sense of trepidation. "What—"

He looked at his surroundings warily and narrowed his eyes. It was obvious he wasn't in the same place he had been a second ago. The stance was a wide rectangular room with a large, circular window in the back and two throne-like chairs before it. He felt something heavy settle in his stomach as his senses picked up what his eyes could not.

He was not alone in here.

Ailill turned briskly feeling unseen eyes look through him from the shadow cast walls around. Then he spotted them: a powerful something… or some things, in the darkness. He clenched his jaw keeping the sudden desperation that swelled up inside of him in check. This was no time for this; he had to pull himself together. His sensitive ears picked up a melodious chuckle and he instinctively brought up his guard.

"My, my… Our little troublemaker is back…"

"We best be on our guard," Kaio-shin said as Gohan, Videl, and him made yet another bend on the never-ending tunnel system. "There is more to what meets the eye around here."

Gohan nodded in agreement and instinctively set himself before Videl, thus earning an elbow shoved into his side as his new wife glared at him and walked past him.

"How long do you think it will be until we find Bulma and your brother?" Videl asked Gohan once she had reclaimed her spot next to Kaio-shin.

"Not long, I hope," Gohan replied. "We've been following her ki for a while, she shouldn't be much further ahead."

"You can sense her ki?" Videl asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Gohan said. "Trunks and Goten are back in the other direction the way Dad and Krillin went." Something else tickled Gohan's senses but he paid it no mind. "I hope they're OK, they sure seem that way."

They walked on for a few more minutes before Kaio-shin held up a hand motioning for them to stop.

"The woman we search for should be just around the corner," he told them.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Videl asked pacing ahead.

"Wait!" Kaio-shin called at her. "Something's not right here."

Videl paused and turned around. "Why? What is it?'

Kaio-shin narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "She's guarded," he said. "Two guards." He shook his head for a moment. "For some reason, I'd think Freeza and Koola would be more… cautious."

"Bulma isn't exactly powerful," Videl pointed out. "Why would they waste guards on her? I'd say they would be better off having them around the exits."

"That's precisely it, though," Kaio-shin told her. "We barely met a resistance coming in, and we've encountered no one in the halls."

Videl crossed her arms over her chest. "Then let's thank our good luck. Obviously we weren't expected just yet and caught them unprepared."

Kaio-shin still looked skeptical but nodded. "I suppose so, but we should still be vigilant."

"Lord Kaio-shin," Gohan said seriously, "I'll take care of the guards. Stay here with Videl."

Kaio-shin nodded just as Gohan turned into a blur and disappeared behind the wall. It wasn't long before they heard the muffled grunts of the startled guards and a soft thump as the hit the floor.

"It's OK now," Gohan called at them. "The coast is clear."

They joined him in the hallway as he studied the mechanism locking the room that they presumed held Bulma captive. After making sure it wouldn't set out any alarms, Gohan proceeded on turning it into a pile of technological rubble.

"Is breaking things all you Saiyans are good at?" Videl asked pushing the now broken door open.

Gohan blushed lightly, but said nothing. Instead, he stepped past Videl and pushed the door open warily. The room was small, but comfortable looking, even if a bit bland on the decorations. From the door they could see a small bed and a wooden desk, complete with a lamp. Besides that, it was devoid of any furniture whatsoever. There were no windows, which was to be expected. On the bed, Gohan spotted a figure, apparently asleep on her back with an arm strewn across her face, a large bulge on her belly making it blatantly obvious that the figure was a woman. Upon closer inspection, they saw a mound of blue hair that covered her head.

"Bulma!" gasped Gohan in alarm. He hurried over to her and kneeled next to the bed. Gently, he moved the arm from her face and studied her sleeping face. He ran worried eyes over the rest of her body, spotting only a minimum amount of bruises. There was no way he'd find out if she was all right unless he woke her.

"Bulma," he said as she shook her. "Bulma, wake up."

Bulma moved her arm from where Gohan had placed it above her head and blinked her eyes open. She squinted at Gohan and sat up on her elbows to look around, seeing Kaio-shin and Videl. With a weak smile, she turned back to Gohan.

"Gohan…" she said smiling. "Are you real?"

Gohan returned the gesture and helped her to her feet. "Yes. How are you? Are you hurt?"

Bulma looked around for a moment. "I'm fine… where's Vegeta? Didn't he come with you?"

"Oh," Gohan said. "Yeah, he's here. We divided into teams to search the place. He must be on Trunks' trail, don't worry."

"Ah…" she replied looking thoughtful. "And Son Goku? Did you all come for us?"

"Dad's with Krillin," Gohan replied, quickly dismissing her odd use of his father's name as lack of awareness for a sleep-muddled mind. "He too must be on Goten's trail."

"Bulma!" Videl said upon seeing her well. "I'm so glad you are alright, is everything well with the baby?"

Bulma blinked a moment before smiling warmly. "Yes," she said. "They kept an eye on that. Doctors came almost everyday to check on me."

"That's good," Videl replied before turning towards Gohan. "We should be on our way. Wouldn't want to spoil our good fortune by staying too long where we're uninvited."

Gohan nodded while looking around. "Dad will be sure to get the kids out," he commented. "Best to get Bulma to safety."

"Gohan," Kaio-shin called from the door. "We better leave now, I sense someone's coming."

"Right," Gohan said taking Bulma by the hand and leading her out after Kaio-shin. "Lets go, Videl."

"What about the others?" Bulma asked. "Shouldn't we look for them too?"

"Naw," Gohan told her. "Dad and Piccolo can take care of themselves. To say nothing about Vegeta."

They stopped their fleeing for a moment under the insistence of the Supreme Kaio.

"Lord Kaio-shin?" Gohan asked warily. "What is it?"

"Lord Kaio-shin!" Bulma exclaimed in surprise. "You mean the Kaio-shin?"

Kaio-shin looked at her curiously. "We've never met, but I have a long history with many of your friends." He went serious and turned to Gohan. "Something's not right here," he said. "I just felt… I don't know. Something that wasn't ki or strength, but extremely powerful nonetheless. I'm afraid it could have been other wizard Ailill spoke of."

"What should we do?" Videl asked worried.

"I'm not sure," Kaio-shin replied. "But whatever it was, our presence is no longer unknown. I could feel it look into our hearts."

Gohan frowned. "That can't be good."

"We better get out of here as fast as we can," Videl said. "Before something really bad happens."

~oOo~

For the past half-hour, the silence that had lingered between Piccolo and Vegeta had been deafening to Dende. The two had personalities that came together and clashed, creating nothing but friction—which was pretty ironic, considering they were really so alike. Perhaps, Dende reflected, that was why they barely got along. Their stubbornness and fiery spirits combined with their strong pride only got in the way of a friendship they could have had based on a mutual respect they already had for each other.

Right now, though, they were both focused on finding Vegeta's and Son Goku's families. Only about ten minutes before, Vegeta had picked up on his wife's ki. They had begun a determined stride, following the ki and narrowing in on it near the bedchamber area of the extensive base. Vegeta could recall from his years under Freeza's rule the layout of the base, therefore having an idea of where she was being kept. Even with his short size, he had managed to match the ever-towering Piccolo stride for stride, making Dende speed to a trot to keep up with the two men.

Vegeta suddenly stopped walking, causing Dende to slam into his back. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side, as if to listen to something.

"What is it?" asked Piccolo.

Vegeta was silent for a few moments as Piccolo and Dende waited patiently. "How bizarre," Vegeta said finally. "It's as if Bulma's ki were in two places."

Piccolo nodded. "I feel it too," he replied. "But the one that's closer is right here. We might as well go in and check it out."

Without another word, Vegeta stepped past him and walked a few doors down. He opened a door to his right and stepped in boldly. Inside, he immediately spotted his wife lying on her back on a small bed. Her eyes were closed and she was tossing her head from side to side, as if she were caught in a bad dream that she could not get out of. Vegeta walked over to her and gently stirred her awake.

"Bulma," he called.

Her eyes snapped open. When she saw Vegeta she breathed a sigh of relief and threw her arms around his neck. Behind him, she caught sight of Piccolo and Dende. "Thank goodness you found me," she murmured.

"Are you alright, Bulma?" Dende asked. "The baby—?"

"Is fine," Bulma assured with a small smile. She turned worried eyes back to Vegeta and saw concern reflected back at her. "But I don't know for how much longer. They want something with her, Vegeta. They want my baby…"

He nodded resolutely and proceeded to pick her up from her bed. She winced as she was lifted, shutting her eyes tightly in obvious pain. "What is it?" inquired Vegeta.

"It's nothing," Bulma dismissed it. "I think I have indigestion from the food they gave me this morning."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "You've been eating their food?"

Bulma looked at him incredulously. "No, Vegeta, of course not. I thought it be better if I just starve myself! You idiot, what do you think I'm made of, stone?"

"They could be poisoning you," Vegeta told her.

"Well, we all gotta die sometime, right?" Bulma muttered. "And put me down, I can walk."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Yes, she was definitely fine. He ignored her demands to be put down as they walked out of the room and began to make his way through the maze-like hallways. Now he had to figure out where to go from here. Piccolo had informed him that after he had stormed off, they had agreed to meet outside in an hour and a half. He wasn't keeping track of the time with a watch, but his senses told him that it had only been about forty-five minutes, give or take. Their ki were being suppressed, so he had no way of sensing the others or contacting them without Freeza detecting them as well. He could only wonder if Kakarot and his weakling followers were already on their way to Trunks and Goten.

He shook his head clear of his thoughts and purposefully turned at the end of the hallway, heading to where he knew the exit was. They'd meet back outside and figure out where to go from there.

Not two steps away from the next hallway, he stopped abruptly. Behind him, Piccolo and Dende stopped as well. Somewhere, a powerful ki had flared into existence. Vegeta's teeth clenched tightly and he growled inaudibly. Bulma felt his chest rumble and looked at him strangely. "What is it?" she asked, noticing that both Namekians behind her were also in a similar state.

"What does that fucking idiot think he's doing?!" Vegeta snarled.

"He should know better," Piccolo added, "than to power up like that when we're trying to be inconspicuous."

"Maybe it's not him," Dende offered, trying to be optimistic.

"I'd know that bastard's ki anywhere," Vegeta retorted, already making his way in its direction. "I knew we couldn't trust him."

"Trust who?" Bulma wanted to know. "What the hell is going on?"

Another ki flared, though this time, it sent chills down Vegeta's back. This one was one he'd known for years and hadn't cared to feel again. He turned to Piccolo and handed over his wife. Piccolo accepted her wordlessly, gazing at Vegeta's face knowingly.

"Hey!" Bulma cried, not exactly thrilled at being in Piccolo's arms. "What do I look like, a package?"

Vegeta ignored her and turned his back. "Get her to safety," he instructed. "I have some unfinished business to take care of."

~oOo~

A gasp behind him made Paikuhan whirl around to face Ailill, who was standing peacefully only a few steps behind. He looked the same as before, except he was now sporting a calmer, less paranoid expression. "Are you alright?" asked Paikuhan.

Ailill blinked several times, before nodding. "Yes, I'm fine."

Paikuhan narrowed his eyes suspiciously before glancing around. "I thought I heard someone gasp…"

"Maybe it was Son Goku?" Ailill responded.

With a quick nod, Paikuhan waved him over and started in Goku's general direction. They didn't have to go a long way before they finally came upon the dungeon area.

Or what was left of it, anyway.

Standing near the entrance were Goku and Krillin, eyes wide in shock and mouths hanging open. The stone structure had been completely reduced to a giant pile of ruble, debris strewn all around the place in mounds and guards struggling to clean it up.

"I'll go ahead and take a wild guess and say that this is the handy work of Goten and Trunks," Krillin commented dryly.

Goku recovered from his shock quickly and released a laugh. With an arm behind his head, he replied, "Yeah, they certainly didn't like being in here, did they?"

"How are we going to find them in all this mess?" asked Krillin.

"Paikuhan and I will take care of the guards," Goku said. "You stay here with Ailill until I say it's time, okay? Then you can take that entrance over there—" he pointed to an opening on the right side of the dungeon, "while we take this one over here." They all looked to the other side of the place.

Before he received a response, Goku immediately blurred out of their sight and appeared behind the nearest guard. He knocked him out from behind, causing the guard to let out a startled cry and bringing the attention of some of the others in the vicinity.

"Hey!" one near the pile of ruble called. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Paikuhan was behind him in seconds, knocking him out as well. Methodically, they eradicated each of the guards, making sure none of them could escape or make some sort of transmission to Freeza or Koola.

"They're very fast," commented Ailill.

"Yeah, Paikuhan and Goku go way back," Krillin told him. "They make a great team."

"Paikuhan," Ailill muttered, rolling the name in is tongue, as if he were tasting something. "Yes, indeed, they do."

"Hey, Krillin!" called Goku as he and Paikuhan started toward their own entrance. "Go, hurry!"

"Right!" called Krillin, tugging on Ailill's arm to get him to follow. "I wonder if Vegeta or Gohan have found Bulma yet."

"I'm sure they have by now," Ailill said. "If—"

He was cut short as a surge of power rose from somewhere in the compound. Krillin's eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa! What was that?"

Ailill narrowed his eyes momentarily then shook his head. "It felt like someone powering up suddenly. I think it was my brother."

"Your—your brother?" Krillin stuttered. "You feel really alike."

Ailill dismissed his comment and stepped past him, turning at the next entrance. Krillin hurried behind him to keep up. "This place is like a maze," he muttered. "I really don't want to get stuck here forever."

"Don't worry," Ailill responded. "I think it's just up ahead."

"How do you know?" asked Krillin.

Ailill hesitated for a moment before answering. "I can feel his ki."

"Oh, yeah," Krillin laughed. "Almost forgot to look for it."

They came upon a cell at the end of the hallway, which was surrounded by a purple sparking aura. Inside was a lavender-hair boy, pounding against the aura and screaming to be let out. Krillin would have laughed, if not for the seriousness of their situation.

"Trunks!" he exclaimed as he got closer.

Trunks pounded on the magical barrier one more time before glancing up to spot the older, though not taller, man. "Krillin!" he cried in relief. "Where's my dad? Did he come with you?"

"Yeah, don't worry," Krillin replied running up to the force field and looking at it warily. "He went to look for your mom."

Hesitantly, he reached up to touch the purple barrier. The moment his fingers made contact, he was thrown back across the room and slammed against the wall.

Trunks cringed. "Whoops…" he muttered. "Maybe I should have mentioned you can't touch it from the outside."

Krillin rubbed the spot on the back of his head where he had hit the wall. "Yeah," he stammered. "That would have been nice."

"Sorry," Trunks said. "Only the man that looks like Tapion can touch it."

"Well in that case…" Krillin started. "Ailill, can you check what you can do for us?"

Ailill walked up to them from were he stood and considered the barrier thoughtfully. Upon seeing, Trunks narrowed his eyes and threw himself at the barrier causing it to shake.

"You asshole!" he snarled and renewed his pounding on the magical wall.

"Whoa there Trunks! Calm down!" Krillin said soothingly. "He's here to help us."

Trunks glared at Ailill who looked back at him raising an amused eyebrow. "Sure he is…" Trunks muttered, but backed off anyway. If he was getting out of here, he wasn't going to argue for now.

Seeing that the youth had retrained himself, Ailill closed his eyes and muttered something.

"I take it you know what you're doing…" Krillin mused.

"I've used this spell before," Ailill replied. A few seconds later, the barrier flickered, then disappeared.

The moment Trunks found himself free, he lunged himself at Ailill who instinctively brought up both his arm to shield himself from the demi-Saiyan's blow.

"Trunks!" Krillin exclaimed jumping after him. "Stop that! He's on our side!

"No he's not!" screamed Trunks refusing to stop attacking. Ailill narrowed his eyes and took a small jump backwards ducking his punches.

"Yes! Will you listen to me!" Krillin cried stepping between the two and holding Trunks back. "Goodness Trunks! You sure are Vegeta's son! Don't worry, this isn't the one who imprisoned you."

Trunks glared at Ailill but halted. "Well, he sure as hell looks like him!"

"The one you met is his twin brother," Krillin explained. "This is Ailill and he's the one who led us here."

Arms crossed over his chest, Trunks narrowed his eyes at the Konack-jin, who met his gaze evenly, as if daring him to a challenge. Finally, Trunks turned his head away in grudging acceptance. "Fine, I'll trust him. For now," he muttered.

"Okay, let's go find Goten," Krillin said. "Trunks, do you know where he could be?"

Trunks shrugged. "I don't know, they're afraid of our fusion so they kept us locked up in separate places," he said, eyes trained on Ailill. "Why don't you ask him?" He jerked his head toward Ailill.

"Let's just follow their ki," Ailill suggested. "They'll probably need me to let him out of his cell anyway."

~oOo~

"Dad!" Goten cried as he saw his father and Paikuhan from his cell.

"Goten!" Goku exclaimed in relief. "Thank goodness I found you." He examined with curiosity the aura of purple that surrounded the prison. "What's this?"

"I suggest you don't touch it, Son," Paikuhan warned.

"Right." Goku nodded. "We'll probably need Ailill for this. Goten, are you alright? You look pretty beat up."

"Yeah, uh, they didn't really like Gotenks that much," Goten explained sheepishly.

Goku laughed in amusement. "Looks like you almost had everything under control."

"Well, except for the fact that we got locked up for our troubles… uh huh!" Goten said.

"Hey, Goten!" Trunk's voice drifted from somewhere behind them. "Look who I brought with me!"

Ailill appeared first, followed by Krillin and then Trunks. "You!" snarled Goten, pointing at Ailill.

"He's not Coran," Krillin explained quickly, "and he's going to let you out."

Ailill performed the spell again and the force field dropped immediately. Goten rushed out of his incarceration and threw his arms around his father in a tight hug. "Finally!" he cried, letting go of Goku and moving to stand besides Trunks. He examined Ailill for a moment, seeing that he wore different clothing style than those of the man that had captured him. There was still something bizarre about him, but he shrugged it off, dismissing the thought as simply paranoia from hanging around Trunks for too long. "Let's go kick some Freeza butt!"

"Not just yet," Goku said. "First we need to make sure that the others got Bulma out. Let's get going."

They wasted no more time in the dungeon, instead proceeding to exit as quickly as possible. Surprisingly enough, they encountered no more guards as they went back to the maze of hallways that would eventually lead them to the outside where they could get back to their ship. None of them dared to raise their ki for fear of discovery before it was time, so they were generally walking blindly. The ki that were fluctuating were those of Bulma, which could barely be felt, and of the Konack-jin's twin brother, which was particularly close to that of Freeza and Koola.

"I don't like this," Paikuhan commented softly. "There's something strange going on."

"Like what?" asked Goten.

"Something just doesn't feel quite right," the dead man replied.

"Hmm…" Goku murmured. "I know what you mean, but I can't place it."

"But what could—" Krillin began, but was quickly quieted by Paikuhan. From around the corner they could hear hushed voices. "What's that?"

"It almost sounds like…" Goku muttered to himself and stopped when he caught sight of his oldest son. "Gohan!"

"Dad?" Gohan glanced up in time to see his father and company standing in front of him. "Thank goodness we finally found you! We've been searching for the exit for a while now and it feels like we're going in circles."

"I know what you mean," Krillin said. "Do feel the ki radiating?"

"It feels like Ailill," Kaio-shin spoke up, "which is bizarre, considering he's right there with you."

"Mom!" Trunks interrupted whatever Kaio-shin had been about to say next and ran towards Bulma. He made a move to hug his mother, but was stopped by her swollen belly. Bulma laughed and kneeled down to his height. "Hey there, kiddo," she said ruffling his hair fondly. "Kept out of trouble?"

"You know me," Trunks replied smiling widely.

"Guys," Videl said stepping up from behind Gohan, "I don't mean to be rude, but we really should get going right now."

Kaio-shin nodded in agreement. "She's right," he said. "We'll have plenty of time for reunions when we are on the ship and far from here. Right now, she should focus all our energies on finding the exit to this place."

Without another word, they all trailed behind the path the Supreme Kai had chosen. He halted a few minutes later and looked suspiciously around.

"What is it?" Goku asked noticing the god's wary behavior.

"Did you feel that?" Kaio-shin asked taking a few steps back.

"What?" Paikuhan inquired looking around suspiciously.

"This place…" Kaio-shin started walking up to wall they had just passed. "It feels as if it were… shifting?"

"Huh?" was the unanimous response. The Supreme Kai held a finger up for silence the proceeded to placing his hand on the stone wall. To everyone's surprise, his hand went right through it and the action was followed by an entryway appearing were once a wall had been.

Kaio-shin narrowed his eyes. "We have been going around in circles…" he muttered. He whirled around suddenly. "There it is again…"

"Lord Kaio-shin?" Paikuhan asked following his eyes.

The Supreme Kai's eyes closed in on Ailill. "It's you, isn't it?" He turned towards Bulma and examined her with new eyes.

The next few moments were a blur. Before anyone blink Bulma lunged at Videl, dagger in hand that had materialized out of nowhere. Alarmed, Gohan reacted immediately grabbing her wrist stopping it millimeters from Videl.

"What are you?" Gohan asked noticing that if this were Bulma, her wrist would have broken long ago and this creature wasn't even complaining. Bulma's features blurred as her rosy skin took a drastic change to blue. Surprised, Gohan released her long enough for her to jump backwards and charge a ki ball in her hand.

"Damnit!" Goku exclaimed shoving Videl out of the way of the incoming blast.

Just as Goten and Trunks brought up their ki in defense, the familiar and dreaded energy cubicles formed around them.

"Bastard!" Trunks exclaimed turning everyone's attention in the opposite direction of Dalia. "I knew we couldn't trust him!"

In a whirl of fiery ki, the wizard and the two kids disappeared into thin air.

"What the hell…?!" Krillin exclaimed.

Following the only lead he had, Paikuhan turned back to Dalia only to see that she too had disappeared.

"Looks like we're back to square one," Krillin muttered seeing all their progress go down the drain.

At that moment, the hallway around them turned blurry before focusing again revealing that they were still amongst the rubble in the dungeons.

~oOo~

"Well, don't just stand there, Piccolo!" Bulma cried as she watched Vegeta's retreating back. "Go after him!"

Piccolo shook his head. "No way. He's going to fight Freeza and you shouldn't be anywhere near them when they do. It's your child they want, so it's your child that we have to get as far away from here as possible."

"Far, where? The ship? Lot of good that's gonna do!" Bulma shot back. She winced as she felt another pang going through her belly, but she ignored it again. As long as she wasn't going into labor, she could handle anything. And labor was still another month away. "Look, buster, if you aren't going to follow him, then put me down so I can."

"I don't want to face Vegeta's wrath if he comes back and finds you dead," Piccolo told dryly.

"I am not some child you can order around!" argued Bulma as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

Piccolo rolled his eyes as desperately tried to resist the urge to tell her the same thing he had told Vegeta when he had made a similar statement not long before. "I'm not trying to order you around. I'm trying to do what's best for you."

"How about what's best for Vegeta? He's going off half-cocked to face not only Freeza and Koola, but also a strong-ass bitch and her freaky wizard of a partner. I don't know about you, but I'd say his odds are pretty slim right about now," Bulma said. "Not to mention that what the hell are we going to do when we get to the ship? I'm not taking off and leaving them behind."

Regarding her coolly for several moments, Piccolo sighed and looked at the general direction Vegeta had gone in. He had to admit, if only to himself, that the woman did have a point. As strong as Vegeta was now, he strongly doubted that he would be able to face all of his enemies at once. But he sure as hell was not going to take Bulma along for the ride. As much as he felt the need to protect Dende, he realized he was going to have to leave him behind for his own sake.

He made a split second decision. "Take Bulma and find the way out," said Piccolo as he set Bulma down next to Dende and started walking the other way. Vegeta's enraged ki was not hard to spot now. "Make sure you at least get out of the base as soon as possible."

Dende nodded as Piccolo disappeared around the corner. Thinking he had Bulma in tow, he began to head the other way. Suddenly he noticed that she was blatantly walking in the other direction.

"Bulma," Dende called. "You heard what Piccolo said…"

"He said it to you, not to me," Bulma replied without stopping. "Last time I checked, Piccolo was not either of my parents."

"But..!" Dende sighed, realizing it was futile to argue with the hotheaded woman. He should have known… with Vegeta as a husband. With resignation in his step, he took off after Bulma.

~oOo~

There was a single flash of burning light as the Konack-jin wizard's fiery ki blasted in every direction. A single battled cry echoed through the stance as he summoned forth both his ki and power. Ailill's magenta hair blew in the wind of his energy as he turned his glowing gray eyes towards the spot he knew Koola and Freeza to be.

Freeza chuckled. "Oh, we're scared now," he commented sarcastically.

Ailill's eyes narrowed dangerously and seconds after, the floor beneath all of them melted into boiling magma. Both Ice-jin released a surprised gasp as the firm footing below them disappeared and levitated just before the ocean of fire took form. They looked as their remaining surroundings caught flame and turned to stare at Ailill darkly before bringing up their own ki.

"I'm not going to be frightened of you any longer," Ailill called at them. "I'll put an end to your reign of terror right now!"

Freeza crossed his arms over his chest and met Ailill's evenly. "Is that so?" he replied in amusement. "Your death wish must be bigger than I had imagined."

Not even sparing a reply, Ailill let out another battle cry and flew at Freeza with all his might. Freeza didn't wait for Ailill to even get there, instead blurring out of sight and appearing behind Ailill. Without missing a beat, Freeza brought his elbow over Ailill's neck, sending him flying the in Koola's direction. Koola grabbed him by the hair, causing Ailill to scream out in pain.

Koola looked at him in disdain. "Lights out," he murmured the tossed him down toward the lava.

Ailill watched helplessly as he tumbled down toward the hot liquid that was the floor. Fitting that I should die in my own hell, he thought ironically, shutting his eyes tightly. His descent was stopped abruptly as he felt his body slam into another hard one. A pair of arms held on to him by his armpits, and he could feel the hot lava just inches from his feet.

"Pathetic," the voice that belonged to the person holding him spat. "I shouldn't even waste my energy saving you."

Ailill opened his eyes and glanced up to see who had come to his rescue. "Vegeta!" he exclaimed, not sure whether or not to be relieved.

"You should leave now," Vegeta told him, turning his gaze away from him to look up at Freeza. He released a more stable Ailill and flew up to meet Freeza. A smirk graced his lips as he saw his old master. "You never give up."

"Vegeta," Freeza said, his lips curling up into a gruesome grin. "How nice of you to join our little party. You were always one to make a grand entrance; so sad that you'll need to leave so quickly."

"What? No party favors this time?" Vegeta shot back. "And I thought you had manners."

"You always were a spoilsport," Koola commented flying up behind his brother.

Choosing not to humor them with an answer, Vegeta lunged at Freeza who instinctively disappeared from his path. Vegeta slowed down a millisecond before realizing that Koola was still there a moment too late as the other Glai'keel-jin connected his fist against his gut before kicking him upwards where he was met with Freeza who wrapped his tail around his neck.

"Clumsy," Freeza sneered while tightening his hold on Vegeta's neck. "This is the second time you'll die like this. Send my greeting to King Enma in Hell."

"After you," Vegeta retorted. He summoned all the breath he could into his lungs and raised his arms above his head. When he brought his arms down, his hair suddenly turned yellow and his eyes blue. A burst of yellow aura surrounded him, causing Freeza to release his hold on Vegeta in surprise. The second he was loose Vegeta spun around, using the surprise to his advantage, and landed a punch into the other creature's stomach. Freeza flew back rapidly, slamming hard against a wall.

He raised his narrowed eyes to meet Vegeta's smug turquoise orbs. There was something different about Vegeta's Super Saiyan form. It was practically the same as both Trunks and Goku's form, except that his hair didn't grow as long, and Freeza could see small flashes of lightning surrounding his yellow aura.

"You stupid monkey scum!" Freeza cried charging after Vegeta with renewed fury. He began to throw a series of punches and kicks at Vegeta, making Vegeta react quickly to duck and block the punches thrown his way. To the untrained eye, the two figures fighting in the air were just a blur of movement, fading in and out of sight for seconds at a time.

It didn't take long for Vegeta to take the upper hand in the fight, managing to move out of Freeza's way before he could land a punch. Self conscious smirk plastered on his face, he brought up a fist and sank it into Freeza's gut. The Ice-jin's eyes went wide as the air got knocked from him and he backed away a few paces. Not waiting for the creature to recover, Vegeta continued his attack furiously sending blows at Freeza eventually punching him into the far wall. He lunged after him but was stopped by Koola's imposing form standing in his way.

The older Glai'keel-jin's lips twitched slightly as he raised his ki in another bright flash of light.

"I was planning on saving you for last, but if you insist," Vegeta told him before lunging at him. Koola's eyes narrowed as he flashed out of sight. Vegeta sensed him appear behind him and turned to block a punch just Koola delivered it. The two of them engaged in a rapid exchange of attacks and blocks. Eventually, Vegeta managed to knock him backwards and the two of them stared each other down for a few moments. A sudden ki burst in the opposite direction made them turn to find Coran, Dalia, and two very frustrated demi-Saiyans inside glowing cubicles.

"Dad!" Trunks screamed as soon as he laid eyes on his father.

Upon seeing his captive son and kidnapers, Vegeta growled deep inside his throat. Coran took one look around the volcanic arena and whistled softly. He turned towards Dalia and smiled. "This is Ailill's handy work," he said. "I can take it from here. Go forth with what was planned."

Dalia looked around the transformed room and the group gathered in it. "Are you sure?" she asked spotting the transformed and extremely pissed-off Vegeta.

Coran smiled. "I can handle him, and any others that might come as well."

Dalia nodded and took one last look around the room before flying out of it. Coran looked after her for a few moments before returning his attention the Vegeta and the two bickering Saiyan brats. He locked eyes with Koola receiving the permission he needed to interfere in their fight.

"So Vegeta," Coran started levitating himself and the kids down to the Super Saiyan's level. "Have you come for your family? How very touching. I must say I never expected such a thing from the likes of you."

Vegeta glared at him. "Fool…" he snarled. "If you wanted to die all you had to do was ask."

Coran laughed. "Vegeta…" he said softly. "Look around you. This is what someone without full capacity in the Art can do. My brother is a weakling, don't expect the same luck with my bag of tricks."

"Really?" Vegeta said. "I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference."

Coran narrowed his eyes. "Observed," he started. "This is an appropriate Hell for my demons to roam. If you want your brat, just come for him."

"Spare me of your speeches, priest," Vegeta spat. "For it is to Hell where I will send you!" With that he lunged at the wizard. Vegeta saw as Coran's lips moved slightly and halted his approach just as a wall of fiery energy formed around him.

"What's the matter Vegeta?" Coran asked from the other side. "Don't you want to save your brats?" At this, both Trunks and Goten screamed in pain as they received a ki blast from their prisons. Vegeta clenched his jaw in anger and frustration and powered up his aura fully willing to tear right through Coran's ki wall. A chill ran down his back as his sensitive ears caught the elusive and unknown words the sorcerer whispered. Looking up, he saw what he could only describe as a small orb of bubbling darkness and steam forming above Coran's open palm. A cold breeze blew across the room making even the boiling sea below freeze over.

"Welcome to my Hell, Vegeta," Coran said moving unworldly glowing eyes up from his summon. "Now face my demons."

Vegeta felt something uncomfortable settle inside him as a single shrill cry echoed through the now frozen over room. He looked around looking for its source, then noticed the thin, dark mist wisps emerging from the dark void over Coran's hand.

"What the fuck…?" Vegeta mused narrowing his eyes at the things that circulated around Coran before moving away from him towards himself. Vegeta powered up then saw the mist take the physical form of a dozen snake-like creature with glowing red eyes shrieking as they crossed through Coran's wall.

Vegeta prepared to blast them away, but before he could, the creatures shot towards him at impossible speed sinking their fangs into his flesh. He cried out in pain as the fiends began to chew their way into him before disappearing underneath his skin. Vegeta doubled over in pain while hearing a thousand cackles and shrieking laughers inside his head.

"What the fuck is this!" he cried out seeing his vision unfocused then returned to normal.

"I thought you called yourself a Saiyan warrior," Coran mocked. "Find your way out of it."

"Fuck you!" Vegeta screamed, then resumed his attack on the wizard. He was half way to him when his body got pulled as if by a magnet in the other direction slamming him hard against the ice floor. With a grunt of pain, he attempted to get up, only to be tossed up into a wall as if he were a mere feather.

Ailill watched in awe from his spot near the entrance as the powerful warrior got tossed around, seemingly against his will. He bit his lower lip, wondering if there was anything he could do to aid the Saiyan in his battle. But he knew his brother was right.

At the moment, Coran was the stronger of the two and there was nothing he could possibly do to help Vegeta get out of his predicament. All he knew was that he couldn't allow him to die.

"Don't just stand there," a deep voice said from behind him, "do something!"

Ailill whirled around in surprise and slammed into a hard chest for his efforts. Moving his eyes upwards, he was met with the green face of Piccolo. "Piccolo," he greeted. "It's good to see you."

Piccolo barely acknowledged him, staring instead straight ahead at Vegeta, who was struggling to take control of his body. Ailill pursed his lips and followed Piccolo's gaze. "My brother is much stronger right now," Ailill murmured. "I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help Vegeta."

Piccolo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration. "How are we expected to be able to fight something we can't measure up against in the slightest?" Piccolo muttered to himself.

"I could be as powerful as him," Ailill said. "All I need is the training…"

"We don't have the time for that!" Piccolo interrupted. "We need to do something now!"

Ailill opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a female voice from behind Piccolo.

"…I swear, all I'm gonna do is watch… ugh!"

Piccolo turned his head down to glare at the woman who had just slammed into his back. Bulma glanced up to see his angry look and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Well, you didn't think I'd really listen, did you?" she asked.

Piccolo then turned to look at Dende, who was standing by Bulma guiltily. "I'm sorry, Piccolo," he apologized. "She wouldn't listen."

"Damnit… Now's not the time for you to act like this!" Piccolo said turning to Bulma. "You should have been far away by now."

"And go where?" Bulma countered. "I'd be just as safe in the ship as here considering the power we are facing!"

"But here you'll get in the way," Piccolo told her.

"And what have we here?" a calm, modulated voice spoke from behind Piccolo making him stiffen.

"Looks like one of those useless lizards you're so fond of, Brother."

"Oh shit," Bulma said grimacing as she felt a pang in her belly once again. "This is just what I needed right about now." The pains had been getting suspiciously closer in timing, and every time more painful. She was now certain it could be a bit more than indigestion. There's no way this is happening, she thought.

The four of them turned to find both Freeza and Koola levitating a few meters above them. Piccolo clenched his jaw angrily.

"Vegeta!"

The voice coming from the other entrance to the room captured their attentions for the moment.

"What's wrong with you?" Goku exclaimed as he and the rest of his party entered stance. Vegeta slammed hard against the frozen floor and glared at the Saiyan.

"Dammit, Kakarot!" Vegeta yelled. "What do you think!" With that, his body flew up and crashed against the ceiling before bouncing back down and landing by Goku's feet.

"He's possessed by something," Kaio-shin exclaimed sensing the numerous entities inside Vegeta's body.

"Goku!" Bulma cried, getting his attention. "Do something!"

Goku opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again when he noticed Freeza and Koola floating above them quietly. Vegeta was still lying on the floor dragged back near the middle of the room, finally stationary now that Coran's attention was focused elsewhere. "Freeza! Koola!" Goku called to them. "Why are you doing this?"

"Now, that's a stupid question," Freeza answered. "Are all you monkeys this brainless?"

Goku narrowed his eyes at him, preparing himself to power up, when he was interrupted by a panic-stricken cry. He looked in the direction of the yell, startled by the noise. The sight that met him was that of Bulma clutching at her belly, eyes wide.

"Bulma, what's wrong?" he asked.

Bulma looked up at him, her mouth open slightly in shock. "I think my water just broke," she replied.

Vegeta painfully sat up, getting on his hands and knees and trying to regain his breath. He had glanced up in his wife's direction the moment he had heard her scream and was now attempting to go to her. "What do you mean? Just get another one later!" he called to her.

Bulma glared at him. "You idiot! It means I'm going into labor right now!"

Everyone around her did a double take, not believing what they had just heard.

"Now?!" cried Krillin with some fright, remembering what Juuhachigou had been like when she had been going into labor.

"You can't go into labor now!" Vegeta said as he reached her.

"Why don't you tell that to your daughter!" Bulma shot back, crying out again. This time, she fell to her knees, before finally plopping down on the floor with her back against the wall. "It feels like she's about to rip out herself!"

Videl sighed in exasperation as she pushed her way though to the other woman. "You're all a bunch of men, is what you are!" she cried as she kneeled down next to Bulma. "Can't you see she needs a doctor?"

"I think we have some other immediate concerns as well," Ailill commented.

"More immediate…" Krillin started then turned in the general direction Ailill was pointing. "Oh boy…"

"Goddamnit…" Kaio-shin muttered as his eyes met what had the Konack-jin so concerned.

In the brief moments they had distracted themselves with Bulma, the evil sorcerer had brewed another powerful concoction. Goten and Trunk's screams had been hushed by the sound of cackling electricity and howling wind that had been gathered together in an ominous whirlpool of dark and light feeding from Coran's powerful aura. His glowing eyes illuminated his face eerily as he began to speak alien words that reverberated around the room to the point that it sounded as if more that one person were speaking them. Coran turned his gaze towards Kaio-shin whom with a startled yell, got raised several meters into the air and thrown into the direction of the vortex.

"Lord Kaio-shin!" Gohan screamed and lunged into the air after him.

"Gohan! Stay away!" Kaio-shin called at him before getting tossed into the maelstrom electricity and darkness.

"Gohan!" Piccolo called following the Saiyan. "Do as he says!"

Gohan halted at his old master's orders and looked away as the incredible energy consumed the god. His entire body trembled in anger and frustration at his uselessness. He was powerless to do anything to prevent what was happening.

Bulma's screams of pain snapped him back to reality and he saw that Videl was aiding her as she was obviously going into labor. He looked around helplessly before touching down next to Piccolo, Ailill, and Paikuhan.

"Where's Freeza…?" he asked realizing that the Ice-jin had completely disappeared.

Ailill's eyes went wide with realization and he gasped, grabbing the attention of those around him.

"What is it?" Paikuhan asked worriedly.

"My brother…" he stammered trying to place his thoughts in order. "Lord Kaio-shin and Freeza—"

He was interrupted by Bulma screaming again and Vegeta muttering something to her just as a baby's cry broke the tense atmosphere.

"It's a girl!" Videl exclaimed cleaning the newborn with what had once been Krillin's shirt.

"It's freezing in here," Bulma muttered weakly. "Wrap her in something warm before she catches a cold."

Videl nodded and ripped yet another piece of the outfit to cover the child with before placing her in her mother's arms. Upon receiving the child, Bulma laughed as tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks.

"Bura…" she whispered softly while cradling the child in her arms. "My baby girl…"

"Bura?" Vegeta retorted, objection evident in his voice. "I will not name my child like that! We had agreed on Naeb."

"What!" Bulma exclaimed suddenly forgetting she had just given birth. "I will not name my baby girl after a food! Forget it Vegeta! Bura!"

"Naeb was my mother's name," Vegeta snarled in indignation. "How dare you mock her!"

"Well I don't—"

"Bulma! Vegeta!" Videl exclaimed interrupting the would-be argument while glancing down at the child in horror. Whatever either of them was going to say disappeared from their minds as a deathly pale color took over the newborn's innocent face. Before they could react, the baby scrunched up her brow as if to cry and began to struggle in Bulma's arms.

"Oh God, she's suffocating!" Bulma exclaimed. The child opened her eyes making Bulma scream in horror by what she saw.

"Those eyes belong to no one in our families," Vegeta said harshly rising to his feet, completely taken aback by his daughter's ruby glare. A glare that always managed to send a chill down his back. "There's something not right here," he murmured as he turned towards Ailill. Ailill's expression was unreadable but he met Vegeta's eyes.

"Get your wife away from that child," he said solemnly.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, but then he heard Bulma scream again and turned to see that the baby was now engulfed in a bright white light.

"Fuck!" he shouted and grabbed Bulma. He flew out of the way of a sudden explosion of light followed by a familiar laughter.

"My baby!" Bulma screamed from Vegeta's arms. "Oh God! What's happening?!"

A melodious chuckling emerged from within the light that eventually dimmed away revealing the pale Glai'keel-jin whom it belonged to.

"I thank you," Freeza said taking a moment to examine himself. "Your daughter was a perfect body for me to inhabit." He turned his crimson stare at the startled party and smirked. "Thanks to you I have not only obtained life, but also more strength than either of us could have ever imagined," he said chuckling softly.

"Freeza…" Goku snarled clenching his fists and powering up.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta barked defensively. "You idiot! He has my child!"

Freeza laughed and levitated himself a few meters above them. "My, my," he mocked. "How touching…"

"No!" Ailill interrupted making everyone turn to him. He looked at them desperately for a moment. "We must get Paikuhan as far away from here as possible right now, before my brother gets a chance to do this again…"

"Look…" Videl whispered looking in Coran's direction. "It's already starting…"

~oOo~

Dalia closed her eyes as her lungs and body quickly adapted to the lack of oxygen in the moon's cold surface. This was the only place in the entire area she could perform her task without fearing the Earthlings' interference. By now she estimated that Coran had already finished half his job, judging by the storms of ki and powers she had been sensing the last several minutes. Satisfied with the distance she had put between herself and the base, she emptied the contents of the parcel she had been carrying.

Seven orange balls glowed dimly in the surrounding gloom as she took a deep breath before beginning her assigned task.

"Shenron!" she called into the darkness of the night. "Come forth and grant my wish!"

Upon her words, the ground trembled and even the stars above her disappeared as the Eternal Dragon got summoned once again. Dalia watched in amazement as in a flash of golden light, the serpentine form of Shenron towered up to the sky.

"Speak," the dragon's voice boomed. "I will grant you two wishes."

Snapping back to reality, Dalia found her voice again.

Now to finish this.

"My first wish…"

~oOo~

"Goten!"

Trunks panicked suddenly realizing his friend had disappeared. The two of them had been screaming for help the last several minutes. He had turned to his younger counterpart just moments before and saw how he suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

"Damnit!" he yelled then turned towards Coran. "Bastard! What the hell are you doing!"

Coran smiled. "Watch and learn, brat."

Trunks had been about to snap another comment when he heard a pained scream form below. What he saw puzzled him beyond what he ever thought possible.

"Chi-Chi…?" Goku exclaimed startled after he had turned in the direction of the scream.

"Goku!" Chi-Chi called back looking beyond confused. "What— ahhh…." She cried out in pain again while falling to her knees and clutching her belly. Goku ran to her side and tried to pick her up, but she waved him away.

"I'm…. But how…." she started but got cutoff by a painful contraction ripping trough her insides. Goku looked down at her helplessly not knowing what to do.

"Chi-Chi, we have to go," he informed her.

"I'm giving birth you idiot!" his wife screamed while gripping the cold floor. "What's going on? Where the hell am I?!"

Videl gasped and ran to her aid. "I don't understand…"

"Freeza!" Goku screamed lunging himself at the Ice-jin who was laughing at the happenings below. Freeza saw this and flashed out of the way just as Goku reached him.

"Son Goku…" he said sneering. "Did you really think you would be spared? Foolish monkey, indeed."

A sudden yell from behind him made Goku whirl around to see Paikuhan tear upwards into the air towards the newly born vortex of light. His eyes widened in terror and realization.

"It won't be long now…" he heard Freeza say. "Tell me, how exactly do you wish to die?"


	8. The Last Resort

Goku's eyes widened in horror as he watched the whirlpool where Paikuhan had been sucked into disappear leaving only the wizard that had created it in its place. A sudden scream from below made him whirl around to find Chichi in Videl's arms, the younger of the two women helping the other crawl away from an intense white light.

"Goten!" Chichi shrieked, but as the light dimmed away only a slightly disoriented Koola rose up from where the brightness had been.

Goku's eyes narrowed as he turned back to face Freeza. His nemesis floated a few feet in the air, arms crossed and a smug smile on his lips.

"What did you do?" Goku ground out.

"That's for me to know…" Freeza answered, his figure wavering in and out of sight. Suddenly, it winked out of view, leaving an eerily disembodied voice in its wake. "And, well… you not to find out."

Now the fighters were alone.

No one inside the room dared even breathe for fear something else might happen as abruptly as the last few events had happened. The silence grew as everyone stared at everyone else in shock. Time seemed to stop and everyone struggled internally to allow the events to sink in.

Snapping out of his reverie, Vegeta swiftly turned and seized Bulma's arm. "C'mon, we're leaving."

"Wait, Vegeta," Bulma called as he began to drag her out. "Where are we going? And what about the others?"

Vegeta ignored her questions, instead picking her up off the ground, being mindful of her current condition. Bulma opened her mouth to say something else, but was silenced as Vegeta called to the rest of the group over his shoulder. "Unless you want to stay behind, I suggest we leave now. Freeza must not be allowed to get far. Not with my daughter."

Gohan was the next to snap out of his shock. "He's right, let's go!"

Following Vegeta's example, he leaned over and helped his now younger-looking mother to her feet. Then he hooked his arms under her shoulders and knees and lifted her up against him. With Videl closely behind, he began to trod after Vegeta.

"Wait, everyone!" Ailill called out.

Vegeta stopped, his back rigid at the sound of the other man's voice, but refused to turn around.

"It'll take too long to find the exit," Ailill continued. "There has to be a way we can get to the ship faster."

"How?" Dende asked. "We've already tried using our magic and it's blocked."

"Perhaps we can use it now that they're gone…" Ailill replied.

Goku shrugged and brought his fingers to his forehead. It was worth a try…

Before anyone could blink, he was gone, only to reappear again mere seconds later. "I guess it works," he concluded. "C'mon, everyone, we'll go back to the ship."

~oOo~

They were back at the ship in seconds, and everyone immediately got to work on the take-off. Vegeta set Bulma down on one of the beds and allowed Videl to look after her while he went off to make sure Ailill didn't mess up their escape. As he got to the view port, he looked outside just in time to see another ship disappearing from their view. Narrowing his eyes, he set his mouth in a straight line and sat in the copilot chair.

"Hurry up," he snapped at Ailill, making the other man jump with unease before nodding quickly.

"Don't worry, Vegeta, we'll catch up to them," Goku said, appearing through the door.

Vegeta shook his head, eyes not leaving the spot where Freeza's ship had just disappeared. "If I know Freeza," he murmured, "he's not going to let us out of here easily."

Ailill flipped a few switches and with a lurch, the ship lifted from the ground.

"What do you think he'll do?" Goku asked, taking the seat behind the pilot's and buckling his seatbelt. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

As if on cue, a ball of light appeared directly above them. Three pairs of eyes widened in alarm, as Ailill frantically pushed buttons and managed the controls to give the ship speed. Vegeta joined in the piloting from the copilot's side, aiding on the ship's ascent. Everyone felt the ship's protests in the form of vibrations and violent reels as it raced away from the soon-to-die moon.

Ailill cursed silently as he felt rather than saw the cry of pain coming from the world's mortal wound. Quickly realizing the ship would not survive the blast; he did the only thing he could think of. Trusting the fate of those on onboard to Vegeta's piloting skills, he concentrated all his ki into protecting the frail ship. Vegeta's curses at his sudden apparent passing out were blurred away as the lethal shockwave and the mage's ki engulfed the spacecraft.

Outside a world was destroyed.

In a sudden flash of light, the once peaceful moon was no more. The void of space swallowed all possible sound that came from the deathblow. In the blink of an eye, the vortex of light and chaos expanded into fiery rings, like waves over the sand, which carried the remains of the small moon in an amazingly beautiful yet deadly display of color and light.

The shock reached the ship a few seconds afterwards rocking and tossing it amidst the turmoil of all the destruction. Vegeta threw Ailill off the pilot's seat and immediately ordered everyone to grab hold of something while struggling to regain control of the vessel. The only thing visible through the view ports was an ocean of fire and energy from the dead world. A chunk of planetary debris suddenly hit the hull of the ship, spinning it off course and causing all the lights inside it to go out. The vessel tossed and turned for a few more minutes before finally falling still. Ailill's eyes came back into focus as the danger passed and he struggled onto his feet to examine what damage had been done to both craft and crew.

~oOo~

Freeza, most powerful being in the universe, gazed at the stars that flashed by without really seeing them. The vista offered by the viewpoint of the command deck of his ship was truly magnificent, but at the moment his mind was even farther away than the celestial bodies around him. Once again he had claimed what was rightfully his. His wine colored lips curled at the thought. To rule the thousands of worlds they were flying by was his destiny. To be the strongest, his birthright. To prove it to the universe, his motivation…

His sneer widened as he felt the ripples of his new power pulse through his veins. Yes, this host had been an excellent choice. Not only had taking control of it been extremely easy, but the Saiyan baby also mediated the power it had suddenly received well. He clenched and unclenched his fists in satisfaction. It sure felt grand to be alive again. He would take this new talent and multiply it; he'd train and grow stronger still. Once again, the reality of this dimension would be at his mercy.

"I take it you have quickly grown accustomed to you're new life, Koola," Freeza said turning away from the window to his brother who absentmindedly looked over Dalia's shoulders as she worked on the ships main computer. Little did Freeza know that he had interrupted similar thoughts from the elder of the two.

"Yes, Brother," Koola replied turning to face him. "I'm not sure who that other green creature was, but his strength was gratefully received. Not to mention the expression on Son Goku's face when he realized his brat was now mine, it was priceless."

Freeza chuckled. "Yes, it was. Finally, the last of the Saiyan scum has been annihilated, and by their own children's power. The irony of it all is too sweet to be true."

Koola smiled then turned to their master wizard who stood gazing out to the stars in the shadows a few meters away. "Ingenious, Coran." Koola praised. "Your performance was top notch. Flawless to the last spell. I must say I had my doubts about your abilities. I am glad to be proven wrong."

Coran turned away from his thoughts to face his master. "Only fulfilling my duty, my lord," he replied with a respectful bow. "I am honored by your praise."

Dalia lifted her eyes from the screen noticing the strange tone of Coran's voice. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully for a moment trying to decide what exactly about it did she find odd. He had been thoughtful and quiet since they had departed from the moon base. Wondering for a moment if perhaps the death of his brother had him like this, Dalia furrowed her brow, but quickly discarded the idea. She had known Coran for years, and with the exception of the first few months, Coran had always had a cold hatred for the elder twin.

She had quickly readied the ship after the Eternal Dragon had disappeared. It hadn't been too long before her masters and Coran had joined her aboard. Like they had predicted, they weren't pursued. The Saiyans were too baffled by the events to decide on a rapid course of action. As soon as they had lifted up from the surface, Freeza had ordered her to destroy the world. She had complied, destroying with a ki-blast all the life left on the small moon and leaving it as just another rubble field that littered space. She smirked. She knew neither the monkeys nor their companions could breathe in space, and even if they had by some miracle survived the blast, the planetary shock wave had wiped out everything for miles.

Needless to say, the twin wizard had died with them. She wondered for a moment if perhaps she was wrong about Coran. Maybe he did feel for his brother's death.

"…And our new cargo is secure, right Dalia?"

Dalia quickly returned her attention the Glai'keel-jin prince. "Yes," she replied. "Your second wish is secured. It will be easy to bring King Kold back from the dead now."

"And his 'welcome home' present is safe?" Freeza inquired.

"Coran has the son of Vegeta locked up below deck," Dalia informed him coolly. "I am sure your esteemed father will be glad to see him again after so long."

"With him will the Saiyan race die," Koola spoke. "Perfect."

"How much longer until we arrive home?" Freeza asked.

"Little over a week, sire," she responded checking on the navigation's computer. "Shall I order a receptions committee for your arrival?"

"It won't be necessary," Koola told her. "Though there should be one for when our father arrives."

"Yes, my lord."

"If all is in order, I shall retire for the rest of the evening," Freeza said walking towards the doors. Both Dalia and Coran bowed briefly as the Ice-jin prince departed. It was a few minutes before Koola broke the silence that had fallen over the room.

"When Father is back," he said to no one in particular, "Yes, all things will be avenged."

"Your people will welcome the return of their King," Dalia told him. "The presence of Lord Freeza and yourself has considerably lifted their spirits."

Koola turned to her and chuckled bitterly. "It must have been hard to see a dynasty die…" he smirked. "But now, it will be reborn stronger than ever."

Dalia nodded then looked up to see that Koola too was leaving.

"Take over until we return," he ordered and disappeared beyond the automatic doors.

Dalia took a few moments to study the people left in the room. Besides Coran and herself, the rest were the technical engineers, all of the incredibly grateful at being chosen to be spared from when the moon was destroyed. Every one of them knew what she was capable of, so she feared no interference with her orders. Deciding to take the moments alone, Dalia walked towards Coran.

Something was bothering him, she was sure of it now. His usual self-confident posture was missing, and doubt was written all over his face.

"What's troubling you?" she asked finally.

Coran turned from his contemplation to regarding the beautiful alien girl thoughtfully. Dalia raised an inquisitive eyebrow before the magenta-hair mage motioned for her to stand next to him. She walked up to the view-port and followed his detached gaze out to the infinity of stars.

"Stretch out with your senses," Coran spoke suddenly. "What do you feel?"

Wondering where he would go with this, Dalia closed her eyes and extended her senses to engulf their surroundings as far out as she could go. "Nothing out of the ordinary…" she concluded. All she could feel were the sentient beings of nearby worlds or the tremendous energies of stars.

"Exactly," Coran confirmed. "Nothing. But for you, that's normal. Given the circumstances I should be able to feel a lot more."

Dalia turned her mint colored eyes towards the wizard. "What do you mean?"

"Ailill," Coran said solemnly, "I can't feel him."

The azure skinned woman cringed. So, he was affected by his counterpart's death… She recalled how it had been last time something similar had happened and bit her bottom lip. But then, why didn't she feel his pain? Hadn't she substituted the magical bond? Was she not empathetic with him? By all means she too must be feeling the loss. So why wasn't she?

"Ailill's dead," she told him carefully. "You shouldn't be able to feel him."

"Precisely," Coran said turning to face her. "He's dead. And I feel nothing."

"I… I don't understand…" Dalia said suddenly taken aback. "Isn't that supposed to be good? You shouldn't be feeling anything since the bond you two had as mages was broken."

Coran chuckled. "The mage bond was broken, but not the fact that we share blood. Link or not, we are still twin brothers. I should have been able to feel his death, even though we no longer share telepathy."

"What are you saying?" Dalia asked confused.

"I'm saying," Coran replied, "that Ailill is still alive. I cannot be sure in what state he is in at the moment, but he lives."

Dalia's eyes widened in realization. "That would mean…"

"Yes," Coran finished for her. "There is a chance Son Goku and the other's survived too."

"We must tell Lord Freeza and Lord Koola," Dalia concluded rapidly.

"No," Coran stated. "Not yet. Their bodies still must adapt to them, and telling them would only disturb them and that process. Besides, we aren't being followed at the moment and the chances of all of them surviving the explosion are slim to none."

Dalia nodded after a moment. "What are we to do then?"

"You and I will stay on our guard," he told her. "Once we reach Glai'keel-sei, the ceremony to summon King Kold back to life will continue as planned. If Ailill comes anywhere near the perimeter of the planet, I will know. Then and only then will we tell our lords."

"And if they do live?" Dalia asked.

Coran regarded her for a moment. "Then they will be killed," he told her. "Sooner or later."

~oOo~

There was a collective sigh of relief uttered throughout the ship as Vegeta finished steering them clear of the explosion. Chichi, still hanging on to whatever she had found near her bed to keep from falling, loosened her grip slightly and opened her previously tightly closed eyes. The sight that greeted her was one of chaos, but that was to be expected, considering what they had just been through. She let go of the pole she had been hanging on to and allowed herself to fall back on the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. Beside her, Gohan was jogging up to the bed. He sat down beside her and held on her hand.

"Mom, are you okay?" he asked her worriedly.

Chichi gave him a wary smile. "Physically, I'll be fine," she assured. Then she narrowed her eyes at the wall behind Gohan. "But that stupid monster who took my baby won't be once I'm done with him!"

"Whoa, calm down, Mom," Gohan said as he put his other hand on her shoulder, partially to offer comfort, and partially to hold her down in case she got any funny ideas. "You're gonna have to let me and Dad and Vegeta take care of that. I'm not completely sure, but… judging by your current condition, I'd have to venture a wild guess and say they got the Dragonballs. If that's the case, we've got a dangerous situation on our hands."

"Nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned, I can promise you that, Gohan," Chichi insisted.

Gohan smiled, glad that his mother was back to her old self. "Alright, we'll talk about this later," he told her gently. "You should get some sleep while the rest of us decide what to do."

Chichi frowned, not liking the thought of being left out of such a crucial decision. She made a move to sit up and then flinched at the waves of pain that such an effort brought to her already sore body. Gohan raised an eyebrow and she nodded in agreement.

"I'll stay put," she said.

"Sleep tight," Gohan replied and placed a gentle kis on her forehead before getting up to join the others at the cockpit.

Chichi sighed and closed her eyes. It only took a few seconds for her to realize that she was uncomfortable in her present position. Upon shifting, the waves of pain increased yet again, causing her to release a breath of air before finally settling back into her previous position. She spent several more minutes lying awake with her eyes closed before snapping them open in pure understanding of the fact that, as tired as she was, there was no way she'd get any sleep as long as her youngest son was still in the clutches of that tyrant.

Tears filled her eyes and she angrily swiped at them. Now was not the time to cry, she told herself. She refused to give into that. A warrior at heart, she would take care of the situation as a warrior would.

She would get her son back. Even if it was the last thing she did.

~oOo~

"What do we have?" Gohan asked as he came back into the cockpit. He sat down made his way around several people crowded around the pilot's chair. Ailill was hunched over the radar, watching the bleep on the screen that was the long-departed ship Freeza and Koola were on. His finger flew over the control panel, calling up different screens, giving the occasional "hmmm" and "I thought so" as he worked.

Vegeta, standing beside the pilot's chair with his arms crossed over his chest and an ever-present scowl on his face, turned his head away in disgust. "We'd know if Mr. I'm-Afraid-Of-My-Own-Shadow here would hurry up and tell us what he's doing," he growled in annoyance.

"I'm doing the best I can," Ailill protested, not even bothering to be offended at Vegeta's disrespect for him. "I think I know where they're going, though."

"Where's that?" Gohan asked.

Ailill narrowed his eyes at the screen. "Just one more minute…" he replied slowly, as if he were concentrating on something.

Gohan sighed and turned to look at the group. Piccolo was leaning against the wall beside the entrance with his arms across his chest and his head bowed. A stoic look adorned his face, as if he were not interested in what was happening. But Gohan knew better. His mentor was meditating, deep in thought over their situation.

The rest of the group was crowding behind Ailill, waiting anxiously for the results of his scanning. Gohan spotted Dende in the crowd and singled him out. "Dende," he called.

Dende turned to look at the demi-Saiyan. "Yes, Gohan?"

"Could you heal my mom and Bulma?" Gohan requested. "I don't think they'll manage the trip to wherever we're going next in their condition. And it's not like we can get them medical help anytime soon."

Dende nodded in agreement. "Of course," he conceded. With that, he walked past Piccolo and disappeared from the room.

Gohan watched him go and was about to follow, when Ailill's cry of success made him turn his attention back to the happenings at the cockpit.

"What is it?" Videl asked Ailill anxiously.

"I knew it all along," Ailill explained, "but I had to confirm it first."

"So where are they going, Ailill?" Goku spoke next, leaning over the chair to stare at the screen filled with alien symbols.

Ailill's good humor faded into a grim mask as he regarded the screen silently. "They're headed for the other side of the galaxy, in the outer rim… and the only place I could think of there, is Glai'keel-sei."

His admission was met with silence. Nobody except Vegeta seemed to know what that meant. His lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk and he let out a low chuckle.

"What? What is it, Vegeta?" asked Gohan.

"Fools," Vegeta murmured. "Glai'keel-sei… is the home planet of Freeza."

~oOo~

While waiting for the latest transport ship to land, Dalia absentmindedly twirled a piece of lace from the dress she wore around her index finger. Ever since they had arrived once again on Glai'keel-sei, she had been supervising numerous preparations for the final summoning of the dragon known to her as Purunga. She tossed the alien words that Shenron had given to her back and forth in her mind while trying to decide how best to utter them. She had learned the language of the Namekians in an instant, but upon doing so, she had discovered the many ways of saying basically the same thing, yet how the subtle differences could change the meaning of what was meant.

Besides pondering on the dialect, she had also been in charge of arranging the feast that would follow the final three wishes. Koola and Freeza had been extremely specific in their demands and she had done her best to carry them out. She was thankful, however, that the palace was a more appropriate place to dress her normal selection of outfits. Dalia had been more than happy to switch from her traveling wear to more regal attires.

The soft humming of a ship's engine made her turn back from her thoughts. She watched as the saucer shaped craft landed smoothly a few meters from her. Koola had sent her a few minutes before to greet the pair of selected guest that had arrived. The entrance door of the ship slipped open and she could finally make out the silhouettes of the beings aboard. There was a small group of random aliens, and two Ice-jin, both in different stages. The first on was small and in the first stage of a Glai'keel-jin's transformations. He had lilac skin and a blue black carapace that matched his narrow eyes and pointy horns. The second one was by far the most impressive. He was in the second transformation of the Ice-jin and towered over all that surrounded him. His steal gray skin color was accented even more by the black Admiral's armor he sported and his black horns. The gem on his head was indigo blue, which made you wonder at the rare emerald green of his eyes.

Strange as it might have sounded to anyone else, the two of them had a rare sort of beauty. Dalia had discovered over the years that since the Glai'keel-jin only had one sex, physical beauty amongst themselves was completely overlooked. She, however, looked at the species with different eyes. Like any other race, the Ice-jin sported different types. Some were plain, while others were more beautiful. Koola had a more masculine look, while Freeza was more delicate. Though each level of strength had it's own unique look, she had decided that the best way to tell how beautiful and Ice-jin was could be seen more plainly in their fourth stage. This was extremely difficult since hardly any of the Glai'keel-jin trained past their first stage. Those who did where mostly high nobility and she had never seen one past second stage.

Dalia walked up to them and took a quick bow in greeting. If she had to judge, these two looked far better than Freeza or Koola did in those respective stages, balancing out the masculinity with the delicate beauty. They would probably be very beautiful on their fourth stage. Good thing didn't matter here.

"Master Composer, Admiral Damiru," she started. "How good of you to join us."

The two beings nodded their acknowledgments. "The invitation you sent spoke of native nobility, is that correct?" the towering Admiral asked.

"Yes," Dalia responded. "Just elite class this time."

"Very well then," he said then turned to one of the humanoids of his escort. "Return to the ship, Captain, and await my orders there."

"Yes, sir," the orange skinned alien said before a brief salute and returning to the transport taking with him most of the escort.

"Pity," the smaller Glai'keel-jin said turning to the remaining creature and looking through the many scrolls it carried. "Guess you too better wait in the transport, Far'ratt. I'll have to pick out a few of these to play for tonight." The rodent-like being complied and after its master had picked the desired scrolls, hurried away looking pathetically relieved at being sent off. "Wouldn't want to insult their highnesses."

"If you'll please follow me," Dalia said leading them away from docking bay. "It's a pity you couldn't join us for out last get together, Admiral, but tell me how has the reaction been around the frontier worlds?"

"All systems re-pledge their allegiance," Dimaru replied. "I have even regain control as far as the Silani Cluster. I trust the Prince received the proper excuses for my absence."

"They did," Dalia told him leading the pair down the ivory hall. "They are also quite anxious to here your report."

"It was a fine feast wasn't it?" the musician put in. "Lord Koola gave a most persuasive speech and it was very well taken. You would have liked it a lot, Dimaru."

The taller Ice-jin chuckled. "I heard. Yet I also know you are quite fond of explosive endings yourself, Count Dreama."

"It was nice to see them in action once again," the other replied failing to fully contain the giddiness from his voice. "King Kold would have been proud. It's a shame too, considering His Majesty enjoyed my music a lot."

"Don't worry, Master Composer," Dalia told him. "You'll be able to play your music for King Kold soon enough. And he'll be happy to hear your reports, Admiral."

The two Glai'keel-jin exchanged perplexed looks. "The King will be here? He too will return from the land of Shadow?"

"Of course," Dalia spoke with a tinge of pride in her voice. "Coran and I never leave anything half done."

"The Master Wizard!" Dreama exclaimed. "Yes, will he be attending tonight? I would like to have a word with him."

"Certainly," Dalia answered. "At the moment he is finishing up some business in his offices, but he'll arrive later."

"Are we the first to arrive?" Admiral Dimaru asked.

"No." Dalia said. "A few dozen other lords have already come. Apparently you've all remembered their Majesties aren't fond of waiting."

Dalia continued to lead them though the maze of halls. A sea of candle light or different colors of fire illuminated each one. Every now and then they would pass through one of the many fancy sitting rooms or inner gardens. Each was decorated after a precious stone or mineral in it's various tonalities.

The gardens, however, were unlike anything she had ever seen anywhere else in the galaxy. Glai'keel-sei was a frozen world, but strangely enough the flora and fauna were abundant amongst this wonderland of snow and ice. The plant life was particularly exotic. It ranged from hundreds of species of evergreen, most indigenous to the world, to a myriad of trees, shrubs, and flowers not only in the warmer regions. How any of them had adapted was a mystery for her, but all she knew was that they had. In addition to the rarity of that, most of the flora wasn't green like in most worlds. Here, most of it ranged from silvers and blues to deep violets and gentle lilacs.

Eventually, they came to the passageway that led to the throne room. On either side towered statues carved out of the marble and glass walls that led up to it. Two heavy doors of patterned silver opened up to the stance. Of all the rooms in the palace, this had to be by far the grandest and most awe inspiring.

Two rows of exquisitely carved silver pillars that replicated an indigenous species of tree lined the walls on either side of the circular room all the way up to the three glass thrones mounted upon pedestals of diverse colorful gems. The 'branches' of the pillars interlaced on the ceiling forty feet above creating small nest-like chandeliers that ran in a straight line from the entrance and leading the spectator to the altar-like shrine behind the thrones. The tree trunks served as frames for the giant windows that permitted a view of the frozen moonlit landscape. A royal guard in full armor stood watchful before them.

The floor was made of several polished stones that simulated fallen snow over a frozen lake, gathering around the edges of the room and growing thinner as it approached the thrones that were surrounded by a crystallized obsidian path leading all the way back to the entrance. In this place every thing was perfect to the last detail, every sculpture or gem, flawless.

The chamber wasn't very crowded. Small groups of nobles where scattered around the room and others near the buffet. Perhaps, Dalia thought, they seemed so few because they were dwarfed by the size and magnificence of the place. It didn't take long to spot one of the princes conversing with a few of the aristocrats. She led the newly arrived guest in that direction suddenly feeling slightly out of place at being the only none Glai'keel-jin present, excluding the slaves.

"Lord Koola," she spoke upon reaching them. The Glai'keel-jin prince turned to regard her and the new arrivals. "I present to you Damiru, Duke of Argon and Admiral of the royal army; and Dreama, Count of N'rei and Master composer of Court."

"It's good to see you here, gentlemen," Koola said in greeting. "I trust that all is well with the both of you."

"Yes, Lord Koola," Dreama responded. "Actually, as promised, I've completed the piece your esteemed brother requested…" He fumbled over the half a dozen scrolls he carried until he found the one he searched for. "Here it is. Symphony on G Minor, with the specifications he established."

"Interesting," Koola said while eyeing the parchment, "This is an unusual movement here… Yes, I'm sure Freeza will like it."

"I hope so, my lord," the other continued. "It is unlike anything I've written before. Melodious at first, but a bit more explosive and even somewhat spontaneous as it progresses."

"I see," Koola said then turned towards Dalia. "Dalia, please locate my brother and request that he join me a moment."

"Yes, my lord," she responded and walked away from the group.

"And what about you, Admiral," the Glai'keel-jin prince said returning the parchment to the musician. "We missed you at the last banquet. How did the mission go?"

"A success, my lord," Damiru replied. "We have regained total control and allegiance of over three quarters of the systems that had fallen away over the last two decades. The remaining ones are deep into negotiations. It won't be long now before we can go acquire new worlds to sale. Few required motivation."

"Perfect," Koola said with a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "With the Saiyan scum out of the way, it will be a breeze."

"You wanted something, Brother?"

Koola turned and smiled at his younger brother. "Yes Freeza. I thought you'd like to know Dreama has musical composition you wanted. Perhaps we should move into the Concert Hall and let him try it out with the orchestra."

"Splendid idea," Freeza said. "Dalia, we can do that right after the main event. Is all in order?"

"Yes, my lord," Dalia replied. "I am waiting for you orders only."

"In that case, find Coran. We should move outside, correct?"

"It'd be best," Dalia told him. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go find him."

Dalia took a quick bow and walked away wondering at the irony of the moment. She had left behind a handful of nobles who would surely converse for a long time. But what she found ironic was that fact that they would must probably drift from topics of war and military strategy to those of art and music. Even the Admiral, she knew for a fact, had a weakness for art and kept in his estate one of the most complete galleries she had ever seen including some of his own work. She remembered how bizarre she had found all of it at first. How could such a violent and power hungry species be so… cultured?

Dalia smiled, but pushed the thought out of her mind for the moment. She had more important things to worry about right now than the apparent bi-polarities of her masters' species. She stretched out her senses to find Coran and located him on the other end of the hall.

He was making his way towards her. She furrowed her brow when she detected apprehension in his mood and immediately feared the worse.

"What is it?" she asked him as soon as he had approached her.

"We're getting company," he replied looking up towards the ceiling.

Dalia's features darkened dangerously. "Your brother?"

Coran nodded. "And the Saiyans, I think. Ailill is stubborn, but he would never have come after us if he were alone and injured. No, he's got some of his friends to help him out."

"He knows where to find us," Dalia muttered remembering the mage had escaped from that same planet. "How much time?"

"I've been following him for the last few hours," Coran replied. "At their present speed, it would take around five standard days."

Dalia nodded thoughtfully. "We still have some time, but we best inform Lord Freeza."

"No," Coran told her. "Let's wait until after you summon the Dragon. We'll have a full offensive force for when they do get here."

"In that case, we better get started," Dalia concluded. "Lord Freeza wanted to speak with you. Go see what is was while I'll go get the Dragonballs. Meet me at the Icicle Gardens, from what I've heard, this thing is really big."

~oOo~

"Ooh, boy… I don't like the sound of that," Krillin muttered. He suddenly pictured two-dozen Freezas glaring at him with those hellish eyes ready to blast him the next dimension again. Shivering at the thought, he quickly pushed it out of his mind.

"Freeza's planet?" Gohan asked, letting the fact slowly seep into his brain.

"Get on the fastest course you can find to get there," Vegeta ordered as he slipped back into the copilot's chair.

"Already done so," Ailill replied. "We should be there in about five days."

"Good," Vegeta said. He looked at the map, spotting said planet and tracing it with his finger. He clenched his hand into a fist and shook it at the map. "The fucking lizard has had that planet hidden for as long as I can remember." He smirked at the screen maliciously. "I think my revenge is long overdue."

"Whoa, hold it right there, Vegeta," Goku said. "I know you hate him for what he did to you, and I understand where you're coming from, but now is not the right time. Our priority is the kids, Lord Kaio-shin, and Paikuhan."

Vegeta turned his glare up to Goku. "If we don't kill him and his entire fucking race right now, what's to stop them from coming after us again and again?" he demanded

"We all know killing him isn't enough to rid of him forever," Ailill said. "Obviously, it's going to take a lot more than that."

"And the fact that the Kold family is evil doesn't mean their entire race is," Goku added.

Vegeta snorted and stood from the chair. "You've got a lot to learn, Kakarot."

He turned and left the cockpit, brushing past Dende as the young Namekian came back inside. Dende looked after Vegeta before turning back to the group. Sensing the tension, he opted for not saying anything. Instead, he stood by Piccolo while they discussed the situation amongst themselves.

Goku frowned before turning to look at Ailill. "I guess we should all rest up as best as we can while we get there. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

Ailill nodded in agreement as everyone started dispersing. Besides Piccolo, who was passively watching everyone leave, Goku was the last to depart from the cockpit. As he turned toward the threshold, Ailill spoke quietly. "I must find a way to counter the spell. There must be a way for us to seal them all in their eternal prisons forever."

Goku grinned encouragingly. "You'll find it, don't worry."

Piccolo watched his back as he left before regarding Ailill. "I sense you don't have nearly as much confidence in yourself as Goku has in you."

Ailill shrugged and swiveled his chair to examine the screen in the control panel. "Perhaps all I need is his confidence," he suggested. "It seems he has enough to go around and spare for himself. I won't let any of you down."

There was a long silence for some time, before Piccolo gave him a quiet nod and left the room. "I guess in time we'll see how true that is," he tossed over his shoulder.

~oOo~

Bulma grimaced as she examined her face on the mirror. Dende had already healed her and restored most of her energy, but he had been powerless to do anything about her pale complexion. "I suppose a little bit of blush and eye shadow wouldn't be too bad right about now…" she murmured to herself. Thinking about this was the best way to keep her mind off of the emptiness she felt at not having her baby daughter in her arms.

"I see you're back to your old self," a sharp, deep voice spoke from behind her.

She blinked a few times and shifted her gaze from her reflection to the reflection of the area behind her. Through the mirror, she could clearly see Vegeta leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, and a tiny smirk gracing his lips. Bulma smiled in return and went back to looking at herself.

"Did they get away?" she asked.

Vegeta made a sound low in his throat and pushed off the doorway, coming further into the room to sit on the bed. "The proper question is 'did we get away?'" he replied.

Bulma winced and turned to face him. "Seeing as we're both still here, I'd guess the answer to that one is yes."

"Freeza's ship is a lot faster than this one," Vegeta continued. "He was also far when he shot at the moon, so they have a head start."

Cocking her head to the side, Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "So we're back to square one? No, more like negative square three or something! They have all our children, plus Lord Kaio-shin and Paikuhan, and I wouldn't be surprised if they have the Dragonballs too!"

"Yes," Vegeta replied grimly. "But we also know where they're going. We should be there in a few days, as a matter of fact."

Bulma groaned and put her hands over her face. She moved over to the bed and sat down next to Vegeta, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head on the crook of his shoulder. Right now she wasn't interested on who may or may not see them and somehow wound his pride; all she needed was a little reassurance that she would find her children again. Vegeta must have sensed this because he made no move to push her away. Instead, he ran a hand through her hair once and settled it on the small of her back.

"He'll die permanently this time," Vegeta murmured. "I'll make sure of that."

"I know you will, but, Vegeta," Bulma looked up at him, "what if we're too late? What if Bura is permanently fused with that tyrant? What if they've done something to Trunks?"

"Please," Vegeta answered with a snort. He deliberately ignored Bulma's insistence on calling their new daughter 'Bura'. There would be enough time to debate over the baby's name, so for now, he'd let her indulge and call her what she wanted. "Trunks can take care of himself perfectly well. And no magic spell is permanent. Our daughter will be back in your arms in no time. They both will."

"But what if there's permanent damage?" Bulma insisted. "There are so many things that could go wrong! What if she loo—"

She was interrupted by Vegeta's mouth on hers. She released a tiny sob and grabbed the back of his head, holding on to him for dear life. They pulled away after a few minutes, leaning their foreheads together and locking their eyes. He had to be strong for them both, lest Bulma's emotions be allowed to get the best of her and cloud her much needed rational judgment. Vegeta was a master at compartmentalizing his feelings and that's exactly what his wife needed at the moment.

"I can't believe that's still the most effective way to shut you up," Vegeta told her, mischief shining in his eyes.

Bulma made a face and pulled back to stand from the bed. "All right, I get the point. I just can't help worrying over it. Even if Trunks can take care of himself, how much can he do against so many enemies? And I've barely even held my new baby. I couldn't bear the thought of going back to Earth empty-handed."

"You can't seriously tell me you still doubt my abilities," Vegeta said.

"No, I don't doubt you," Bulma replied. "I believe in you, and in Goku, and Gohan. I know it'll be alright." She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you. Now get out so I can finish changing."

"As if you've got anything I haven't seen already," Vegeta muttered, standing up and heading back toward the cockpit.

He effortlessly grabbed a flying shoe as his exasperated wife hurled it at him and tossed it back at her with a slight smirk, before stepping out of the room. "Come out when you're done," he called to her as the door began to slide shut. "You might want to check on the ship…"

Bulma watched the door close in front of him, before shaking her head in amusement.

"Right," she sighed. "Here we go again."

~oOo~

The eerie glowing of the Namekian Dragonballs silenced all the possible whispers from the gathered crowed. Dalia tossed the alien words in her mind one last time before looking up at Coran. The Konack-jin mage nodded. A few minutes before, they had been discussing the wording for the wishes and how to get the most of them. She turned back the giant Dragonballs and stretched her arms before them. She closed her eyes and spoke the incantation to bring forth the Dragon.

"Takara, papara punga tipiri pharo!"

At first nothing happened. The Dragonballs continued to glow for a few seconds, but then it intensified. Dalia took a step back and watched how the sky above them blackened totally.

No moon, no stars… only complete darkness.

After another violent flash of light, a draconian figure could be spotted climbing up towards the firmament. Everyone watched in awe as the imposing figure of Purunga, the Namekian dragon, materialized above them. It felt as if he were a mile high. Green scales covered his body, black horns emerging from his shoulders to decorate his powerful arms.

"You have awakened me from my slumber. Speak. I shall grant you three wishes." The Dragon spoke looking down at Dalia who stood frozen in her place.

"Ask now."

Snapped back to reality, the warrior princess began as told to her by Shenron.

"Nora. Donuima shitara contrui merui gonee. Nera cambara tiparo k'nei. King Kold neta shuba."

"What is she saying?"

Coran whirled around in surprise, having momentarily forgotten where he was. Koola stood behind him looking up at the Dragon.

"She has to speak to it in its native tongue. Dalia just requested that King Kold and any other soul allied to you be brought back alive and here."

"Isn't that more than one wish?" Koola asked still not taking his eyes away from the form of Purunga.

"No," Coran replied. "She's just being specific."

Koola nodded satisfied with his answer.

"Your wish cannot be granted," Purunga said suddenly. "It is beyond my power to revive someone after a year of their death. The ones you speak of cannot return."

No one dared to move for a few seconds then Dalia whirled around and called Coran to her.

"We didn't know about this! What are we suppose to do now?" she said as soon as he had reached her.

"Rules can be bent, sometimes even broken," he replied. "All we must do is find a way around this barrier. All magic is like that."

Dalia was thoughtful for a few minutes.

"I do not have all day. Make your wishes now!"

Coran looked at the Dragon in disbelief. "I can't believe this!" he exclaimed. "Isn't he impatient?"

Dalia ignored Purunga's comment and continued to think. A few moments later, her eyes brightened. "What if we wish for the limit to be extended for last twenty years?"

Coran was about to say something, but then grinned. "I think… I think that would work."

"We'll lose a wish," she pointed out.

"No problem," the other replied. "We'll find a way of fitting it into the other two."

Dalia nodded and turned once again to the grumbling Dragon. She uttered her request and waited for it to reply.

"What is she wishing for now?" Koola asked Coran again.

"For the Dragon to bend his own rules," the mage replied. "Not to worry, it shouldn't affect the final outcome…" He stopped in mid-sentence as Purunga began speaking again.

"Very well. It shall be done." His eyes glowed a brighter shade of red as the wish was granted.

Dalia smiled at their success, then proceeded with the original wish when the Dragon requested it. This time around, there was no problem. Instead, columns of light began to appear in their surroundings. Dalia picked up countless auras materializing themselves in the garden with them, and in the surroundings of the palace. It suddenly struck her that they were summoning an army.

A completely faithful army.

She grinned and looked around. The more powerful 'ki' could be sensed around here. King Kold was back, the Ginyu Force, Zarbon, Dodoria, Koola's Special Forces: Sauza, Dore, and Neizu… and something else as well. Dalia turned to that particular ki and narrowed her eyes at the strange being. He was looking down at himself with bright magenta eyes that adorned his handsome pale face. A green and black crest rose from his head matching the strange body armor he wore. She turned to Coran and saw that he was looking at the same creature. Who was he…?

"Proceed with your final wish!"

Dalia spinned around to face Purunga forgetting the new being for the moment. Her curiosity would have to wait.

Now, she would have to wish both her masters immortal in one wish instead of two. She inhaled sharply and proceeded.

"Nora. Gotura no mira Lord Freeza ne Lord Koola coraima no reine." She finished her request and took a step backwards.

Purungas eyes glowed brightly, then dimmed away to orange before returning to their normal shade. Dalia turned to look at Koola and Freeza and saw that the two of them were looking at each other in confusion. She checked their 'ki', but discovered no changes of any sort.

"Your wish cannot be granted now," Purunga's voice bellowed.

"What is that supposed to mean!" Freeza exclaimed outraged. "You still have one wish left to grant us, you overgrown iguana! How dare you deny it!"

Upon seeing Purunga not responding to her master's threats, Dalia asked a similar question to it.

"You first wish was unnatural, breaking all the rules set to me in ways I did not expect. It drained most of my power. Your final wish can be granted if I'm allowed to rest."

"How long will that take?" Dalia asked knowing that they were running out of time.

"I will come back to you in a few days and you can make your wish again."

After saying this, Purunga disappeared in a flash of light leaving behind very puzzled spectators. Dalia looked before her as the stars appeared once more above and noticed the seven Dragonballs. They had not scattered, as they normally would have. She bit her tongue and turned around to face her masters and the growing crowed. This wasn't good. Purunga would return when he felt rested… Once again she noticed the newly revived and disoriented faces amongst them. Now was as good a time as any to tell them also of the coming of the Saiyans. Her eyes connected with Coran's for a moment and all was silently agreed.

They had a bit of explaining to do.

~oOo~

Trunks let out an annoyed sigh and plopped down on the floor. If his estimates were correct, it was about two days after he had given up banging on his prison's magical walls in vain, one since he'd stopped screaming curses at his captors and, kami knows how long since he had last been fed.

His stomach grumbled in agreement.

How long had it been since he had last spent a normal moment with his family? Of that he had absolutely no clue. All he knew was that his best friend and new kid sister had been possessed by his father's worst enemies, that he was stuck here with no way out and weaponless. Not that he needed one, but his sword had been taken away and it was one of his most priced possessions. His parents… He wasn't sure about his parents. He knew that they couldn't be dead, his father was way too stubborn to let that happen, but he wasn't sure about their well being.

Trunks shut his eyes tightly in frustration. Now he was trapped here with no idea what was wanted with him or where the devil here was. What he was sure about was that over the last few days, strange things had been occurring around him. For starters, he had picked up on a powerful, yet vaguely familiar 'ki'. He wasn't sure why, but something about it sent chills down his back. That and the other hundred or so that had pop up after it. None as powerful, but some close enough to cause him to worry. And, of course, the gargantuan ki of Freeza and Koola…

Trunks wasn't sure whether or not they were going to kill him, considering the fact that he had been down there for quite a while. But they were also giving him the silent treatment. The last visitors he had were his captors and a couple new unfriendly looking faces, but that had been days ago. Ever since that, he had been left alone. So alone, in fact that no one had yet come to feed him. He wasn't sure if that was some kind of torture, but it was working.

He opened his clear blue eyes and brushed his purple bangs from his face to look around. Something had better turn up soon, or else… Trunks sighed miserably. He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to find out.

~oOo~

"We are entering the planet's atmosphere," Ailill called out to Vegeta as the latter was entering the cockpit. "Everything seems to be in order and it should be a smooth landing—I hope."

Vegeta nodded once in acknowledgment as he settled into his copilot's chair once again. He examined the general readouts, but left the actual landing process to Ailill. Instead, he leaned forward and stared out the view port of the cockpit. It was nighttime, so the only illumination they had at the moment was what the moons cast over the landscape. From the ship's spot, Vegeta could just make out the planet's general landscape and snowy features. Yes, he could definitely recognize the place as Freeza's home world. Dark and gloomy, just as its settlers.

Ice-jin, indeed.

The ship lurched as it completed its drop past the atmosphere and then continued its descent down to the planet's icy surface. They had chosen a spot not too far from the Kold Palace, so that they could have a good view of it, but just far enough so as not to be detected. They had also agreed to keep their ki low until they had a plan of action completed.

"This is creepy," a voice said from behind Vegeta, snapping him out of his reverie. Vegeta swiveled his chair to find Krillin, Goku, Videl, Piccolo, Bulma, Gohan, Dende, and Chichi standing around the room, watching in amazement the new world they were witnessing. "I don't like the idea of a planet full of Freezas," Krillin continued.

"Then perhaps you should have stayed behind," Vegeta snapped, turning around again to face the planet.

"Vegeta," Goku warned.

Bulma bit her lip as she thought of what awaited them down below. Somehow, she had a feeling that this was not going to be another Namek type of adventure. This was at another level completely… and the stakes were different, hitting a lot closer to home.

Behind her, Gohan's mouth had dropped open completely. The ship finished its touchdown and he took a few steps forward to look outside. It was enemy territory, of course, but Gohan couldn't help but admire the dark beauty of the place.

The first things he noticed were the stars.

Not even back home away from the cities had he seen so many or so bright. Fist sized orbs shedding an eerie light on the frozen world. Further inspection revealed that the planet had various orbiting moons. One of them only rising now in the eastern horizon looked bigger than the one on Earth. There were three others much smaller than that one and in different stages and colors.

It took only a moment for him to absorb all this before shifting his eyes to their destination. The city, he imagined, stretched over the span of a few miles and was recognizable by the light coming from within the many odd-shaped buildings. However, it wasn't that that caught his attention, but the palace built on its eastern flank. It's many domes and spirals were visible because of the rising moon above it. From what he could tell, it looked to be made out of, or had an outer covering of glass or another material of it's like because it reflected the night sky in many of its smooth walls. It's architecture was also extremely different from any he had seen back home in books or life.

Hundreds of arches and onyx pathways connected the various buildings that composed the whole of the place. The buildings themselves reminded Gohan of complex, upside down gems, cut in various angels to trap the surrounding light inside them and transform it to a ghostly aura that radiated dimly from each one. A geode composed of prisms of light standing stoically in the darkness as if challenging anyone whom questioned their glory. He noticed some of the structures cascading down to what he assumed must be a frozen ocean stretching towards the horizon. By the looks of it, the ice sea appeared to hold similar buildings half submerged in it. Adding to its dark splendor, a small forest of gigantic silver trees bordered its western shore and circled part of the palace like a garden.

He let out a soft sigh. The effect of the place was… intimidating.

"Um, does anyone even have a plan?" Videl asked, bringing Gohan back to their dimension. "We've been on course for days and nobody's even thought of a way to end this…"

"We have to infiltrate the place, get my son out—", Vegeta began

"And mine!" Chichi added.

"—and kill Freeza and Koola," he finished. "There's no science to that."

"What, you're just gonna wander inside the place?" Bulma pointed out. "You have to think of a way to get in unnoticed and—"

"What for?" Vegeta snapped. "They know we're here. There's no point in delaying the inevitable."

"You don't know that they know we're here," argued Bulma. "For all they know, we died in the explosion."

Vegeta snorted, rather rudely. "Right. Because they have absolutely no radars or ways of detecting us."

"With all due respect, Bulma," Ailill spoke next. "I'm pretty certain that, even if they could not sense us with their machines, my brother could very well know that I am here."

"Now you tell us," Vegeta said. "Why didn't you say so before? That way we could've spared ourselves the trouble and killed you out in space."

Ailill winced slightly and stood from his chair, moving quickly to stand near Goku. "Vegeta," Goku told him chidingly. "We still need him to trap Freeza and Koola back into Hell."

Still need me, Ailill thought, how comforting. I hope that doesn't give Vegeta any ideas to kill me after this is over.

"So, what, you're just gonna step out of the ship and yell at them to come and get you?" Bulma asked incredulously.

"Actually," Gohan spoke up, "that's not such a bad idea."

Everyone but Vegeta turned to look at him in disbelief. Gohan held up both hands, as if in defense. "Wait a minute, think about it, guys," he continued. "We want to find Freeza and Koola. What better way to fight them than to lure them out?"

"Yes, but remember that they're stronger now," Piccolo pointed out. "You can't go off half-cocked to face them."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stood. He had always been a man of actions and few words. "Come on, Kakarot," he called. "I'm sure you'd much rather go face a challenge than sit around here talking in circles."

Goku looked at everyone apologetically before turning to follow Vegeta out of the ship.

"All right," Gohan said. "While they go do that, Piccolo and Krillin, take Ailill and go inside the palace. See if you can find Trunks and get him out. Don't call any attention to yourselves. Just get him in and get him out quickly. I'll stay here to help Vegeta and Dad fight."

"What about the rest of us?!" Chichi exclaimed.

Gohan looked nervous suddenly, looking around the room for help nobody was offering. Everyone except for Videl looked away, trying to avoid Chichi's otherwise unavoidable wrath. "Uh… you guys get to stay inside the ship and rest up…"

"What?!" Chichi yelled. "You want me to stay here while the rest of you go get yourselves killed?!"

Gohan winced. "Mom, you won't be much help out in the field. It's best for the rest of us if we don't have four more persons to worry about. Please…"

"He's right, Chichi," Bulma added. "I learned my lesson at Namek. We'll just get in the way."

"But I know I can help, Gohan," Videl said. "Please, you have to let me help."

Gohan shook his head adamantly. "No, not against Freeza and Koola. Just stay here and prepare to help Bulma take off in case of an emergency."

Piccolo, Krillin, and Ailill were already on their way off the ship and Gohan looked after them. "I have to go. Just… stay here," he pleaded. With that, he followed the others outside.

Chichi made a move to follow, but Bulma placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just stay here, Chichi. We'll know if they need help."

Chichi sighed and tossed herself down on the copilot's chair. She rested her elbow on the armrest and placed her chin on her hand. Bulma moved to occupy the pilot's chair, while Dende and Videl spread out throughout the ship, each finding something separately to occupy themselves with.

"I hope this ends quickly," Chichi muttered wistfully.

~oOo~

Hovering over the expanse of city, Vegeta and Goku looked down below them. The palace was looming in front of them, looking much bigger up close than it had from the ship.

"I say we blast the palace to hell," Vegeta said.

"That would work," Goku relented. "But it would also be a lot of pointless killing. We could just raise our ki very—"

He was interrupted as a loud blast sounded from below them. He looked down to see a smoking building. Beside him, Vegeta's hand was outstretched toward the smoldering rubble.

"There was no need for that, Vegeta," Goku told him, starting to feel more than a bit agitated with the stubborn Saiyans.

The other man didn't answer, instead turning to look behind them, where a troubled Gohan was just flying up to them. Gohan stopped in midair, glancing down at the smoking building, then looking back at the other Saiyan. Shaking his head, he directed his attention to his father. "I left mom on the ship with Dende, Bulma and Videl. The rest went into the castle to look for Trunks."

Goku nodded. "Good," he replied. "That's something less to worry about, at least."

Another blast brought their attention back to the task at hand. "Vegeta!" Gohan exclaimed. Vegeta responded by sending two more quick blasts at two different buildings.

"If you wanted to see us, you could've just rang the doorbell," an anger-laced yet delicate voice said from behind them. Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan all whirled around at the new presence.

"That is, after all, what civilized people do," the next voice followed. "Right, Brother?"

In the same fashion, the Saiyans turned in the other direction to look at the other being.

"Yes, well, I'm not exactly known for my civility," Vegeta sneered.

Freeza chuckled. "No, I supposed you never were, Vegeta," was the response. "Next time, try not to make the demonstration at the expense of my kingdom."

Vegeta clenched his fists at his side and gritted his teeth in anger. "You should have heeded your own advice before you made your demonstration at the expense of mine."

A cruel smirk made its way on Freeza's face and he closed his eyes, cocking his head down, as if Vegeta's words had been a compliment. "Details, details," he said dismissively.

"Is this a social call, or can we quickly send you on your way?" Koola spoke next, a bored expression on his face.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, holding his hand, palm out toward Freeza, to whom he had refused to leave out of his sight. Energy cackled around his hand as he drew out his power and focused it on his palm. The energy left his hand and turned into a large blast in midair as it headed toward Freeza. A large explosion followed in the spot where Freeza had been. As the smoke cleared, Freeza became visible once again. He looked unfazed.

"I'm disappointed in you, Vegeta," he said. "I really hoped you'd give me a better challenge than that."

Vegeta smirked. "I haven't even warmed up yet."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Goku and Gohan hovering over to his vicinity, each taking a defense stance around Vegeta. "I don't need your help, Kakarot."

"I know you don't," Goku replied.

Gohan glanced up at Koola, wondering what the other Ice-jin was waiting for. He furrowed his brow in confusion noticing that the other being was staring at something past them all, seemingly on the ground. Gohan quickly moved his head to follow Koola's line of view. Down near the palace, hovering over the ground was a figure looking in their direction. Before he could make out whom it was, however, the creature blurred out of sight, leaving Gohan squinting at the spot curiously. He couldn't have seen the others, Gohan thought worriedly.

When he looked back at Koola, the Ice-jin in turn was looking at his brother. Quickly, Gohan turned to look at Freeza and was just in time to catch the small nod the other being sent. Before he could voice a comment on it, though, the Ice-jin took him by surprise by blasting off top speed in the general direction that they had landed their ship.

"Hey!" Gohan cried in alarm. "They're headed toward our ship!"

"Come back here, you coward!" Vegeta cried, immediately taking off in hot pursuit.

"Dad, there was someone down there," Gohan called to Goku as they, too, went after Freeza and Koola.

"Where, son?"

"Down, near the palace," Gohan replied. "Koola was looking at him. Do you think the others have been spotted?"

Goku furrowed his brow and looked forward in concern. "I hope not."

~oOo~

The throne room went suddenly silent as the imposing figure of King Kold strode in. What they had expected for the last few days had finally come to be and every soul present was anxious to know the happenings outside.

"I take it the package arrived," Coran spoke up falling in pace with his King.

King Kold nodded. "I noticed three of them, but there could be more," he replied.

"Freeza and Koola are leading them away from the city." The corners of mouth contorted into a frown. "Pity they've already blasted off a chunk of it. Who knows what more of it would have gone had Freeza lost his temper."

Coran winced at the thought. "Was my brother amongst them?"

The tall Glai'keel-jin shook his head. "You two are unmistakable, he wasn't amongst them. I did sense, however, the distinctive stench of Saiyans."

"So Vegeta and Son Goku survived…" Coran thought aloud. He considered his options for a moment before making up his mind. "If I may be excused, my Kig, I must find my brother. Once he joins us, whatever insane idea the others may have will evaporate."

King Kold nodded in agreement knowing the run away mage could be trouble. "Take the Ginyu Force with you, as well as Zarbon and Dodoria. And get Koola's Special Forces too. I'm sure Neizu, Dore, and Sauza could use the entertainment. We wouldn't want any trouble."

Coran nodded in agreement and wondered if the Ginyu Force had been imposed on him as assistance, or if the Ice-jin king was simply tired of their… singularities. He recalled the fighting squad had been station on another planet during their past lifetime. The four remaining members had done nothing but practice poses and encourage some of the other warriors to join them. Needless to say, all invitations to join their little ballet had been adamantly declined.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Dalia walk up to the two of them followed by the tall, green android they had recently known as Cell.

"Is there any reason to think the Saiyans might come to the palace?" Dalia asked upon reaching them.

Coran raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "If we both know Vegeta, the split second he gets a shot he'll blast his way here, if only to spite Lord Freeza."

"Then we can expect the action to take place in the neighborhood at some point," King Kold said thoughtfully. "In that case we must have surprise waiting for them here. Cell," he turned to address the being. "I think you can take care of any stray monkey that might show up. Remain in the palace."

"My pleasure," Cell replied with a cold smirk. "The more I stretch out my revenge, the better."

"In that case I'll stay here too," Dalia said. "Wouldn't want things to get too out of hand."

Coran nodded in agreement. If anything happened she would always be a thought away.

"Then it's all settled." King Kold finished. "Now everyone, get to work." With that King Kold informed the eccentric Ginyu Force and his son's lower aids of their tasks. A few moments later, Coran was leading the group of them towards his brother's ki.

~oOo~

Vegeta wasted no time in attacking. The moment Freeza stopped Vegeta charged at him full speed. Freeza blurred out of sight and appeared behind Vegeta, making a move to elbow him on the neck, but Vegeta anticipated the move and ducked away from Freeza's arm. Freeza doubled over slightly as Vegeta's knee connected with his stomach. Taking advantage of his enemy's split-second state of confusion, Vegeta grabbed Freeza's arm and swung him twice before throwing him up in the air. Freeza flew up for a few seconds before stopping in mid-air and turning to face Vegeta. Freeza left him no time to plan out a next move before he decided it was his turn to attack. He blurred out of sight, appearing directly in front of Vegeta and throwing a punch in his face. It hit Vegeta on the nose and caused his head to toss back with the impact. With a growl of annoyance, Vegeta threw his arms back and transformed into the legendary form of Super Saiyan two. It wasn't long before the two beings were engaged in a too-fast-for-sight exchange of punches and kicks.

From his perch next to his father, Gohan was looking warily at Vegeta's fight with Freeza. It was surprising how much Freeza had improved over the years, and it made Gohan very nervous. This was Freeza's home-turf and they were playing under his rules. Both he and his brother were extremely confident, which made Gohan realize there was more to this than they were letting on. He frowned at that thought. Could it be that they had already wished for immortality? They did have the Dragonballs, after all. And they had gotten to Glai'keel-sei way before they had. And he highly doubted they'd been sitting around, waiting for them to get here before making the wishes. A sudden wave of panic shot through him. What if—?

His train of thought was interrupted as something shot past him at top speed. Gohan snapped his head down to watch as his golden-haired father straightened out and shot back up at Koola. Koola ducked a punch and landed one of his own on Goku's stomach. Goku's response was a kick to Koola's head. Koola barely flinched at the impact and quickly landed another blow on Goku's neck.

Gohan winced at Koola's apparent lack of injuries. Yes, something was certainly off. He had to go help out his father before…

He had been subconsciously noticing the extreme weather change before a crack of thunder made it obvious to the rest of the group. The night sky clouded over reminding him of the gales he had experience while on earth. However, there was something strangely familiar about the abruptness of it all…

Gohan whirled around suddenly realizing what was going on. There, just visible over the rim of the horizon where they had left behind the city, was the towering form of Purunga.

~oOo~

In an instant, the serpentine form of Purunga climbing towards the Heavens gained the attention of every single being miles around. Like the eye in a storm, Purunga always appeared in the middle of the vast darkness his presence caused. He opened his red eyes, determined to grant one final wish before returning to his slumber, and looked down. To his surprise, no one was there to greet his coming. An annoyed grumble started to build inside his throat, but then he sensed the numerous entities making their way towards him.

Good.

He wasn't the patient type so waiting wasn't his greatest strength. Under the circumstances, however, he had no choice.

~oOo~

The sudden crack of thunder made Videl jump. She frowned in thought as she made her way to the view port. The dark sky looked very cloudy, making it seem even darker and more eerie than it already was. She shuddered and quickly turned her back on the window.

"Is everything alright in here, Videl?" Bulma asked as she came inside the cockpit.

Videl nodded, sending a quick glance outside again before looking at Bulma. "Yeah, it's just weird out there, that's all."

"Weird?" Bulma furrowed her brow and walked over to have a look outside.

"Yeah, the weather is horrible. Like being an ice planet isn't bad enough, a thunderstorm has the strike as well…"

Bulma's eyes widened. "Oh, shit!"

"What?" exclaimed Videl running to see what had Bulma was so worked up. Her eyebrows shot up as she caught sight of the source.

Bulma tore herself from the window and ran out of the cockpit. She ran down the hall and opened the hatch. Taking a few steps down the ramp, she focused her gaze on the palace. Above her, she saw the white and blue auras of several figures shooting toward the palace at full speed.

"Bulma!" she heard Chichi's voice from behind her. "What in the world…?" Chichi looked past Bulma to spot the giant green dragon floating where the palace stood. It was certainly a sight to behold. "Oh, my!"

"Bulma?" the young voice of Dende called from the threshold. "I'm the only one of us that can speak Namekian."

She nodded in understanding grabbing the hand of the young Namekian and running out. "Let's go."

~oOo~

"If they get to the dragon first, it's over!" Gohan cried in frustration.

"It's not if. They will get to the dragon first," Vegeta replied. "I'm sure they have people in the palace already making the wish."

"Damnit, and Dende's still in the ship!" Gohan said. "We'll never get there in time. For all we know, they're already immortal and it's too late."

"We have to get there and delay them long enough for Dende to get there," Goku spoke. "He's already on the way, we just have to hang on."

"If the dragon's coming out now," Gohan reasoned, "that must mean that they haven't made any wishes yet. We still have a shot and we have to go for it!"

"No shit," Vegeta growled.

We'll get there on time, thought Gohan, we'll get there.

~oOo~

The ground trembled for a moment causing the weaker inhabitants of the throne room to scramble in order to keep their balance. Dalia looked around in confusion before turning to the android besides her.

"Hmm…" Cell commented looking half amused as the servants in the room grabbed hold of the nearest any thing. "This planet seems unstable."

"Actually, earthquakes are a rarity here…" she trailed off suddenly sensing the alien ki of the Namek dragon.

"Goddamnit…" she muttered quickly spinning around and running out of the room leaving a startled Cell behind. "Shit, shit, shit! He just couldn't time it better, could he?"

Realizing what the coming of the dragon meant, she grimaced. "Move it or loose it, Android, we're going to have company!" she called to the tall being over her shoulder as she dashed away.

~oOo~

The small courtyard was already packed full with assorted beings by the time Freeza managed to get there. He sighed in momentary relief noticing his army assembled in defensive perimeter around the lone figure of Dalia at the foot the gargantuan dragon.

He landed beside her a split second before his brother did and whirled around in time to see the three glowing orbs that where the Saiyans' aura grow closer.

"Not here, you fools!" Freeza roared at the crowed that was supposed to be his best army and pointed skywards. "Up there!"

Upon their master's command the entire force moved up to face the now visible forms of the Saiyans. It wasn't much of a fight. The idiots would be pulverized by the monkeys in a matter of seconds, but it might just buy them enough time to speak their wish.

Koola gave his younger sibling a look of apprehension and motioned for him guard Dalia's rear. They would have to get through them first.

"What's taking so long?" Freeza shouted at Dalia who was already speaking to the beast.

"I'm working on it," she muttered rapidly as a few episodes of what could go wrong with the wish if she didn't speak it right flashed through her mind. She opened her mouth to continue the wish but was roughly shoved aside. The impact with the hard ground made her vision blur for a moment. The next thing she knew was Freeza and Koola's angry curses and Son Goku's son pinning her to the ground. With an irritated grunt, she pushed at Gohan far enough so she could get out from under him.

Knowing that she would go back to the dragon, Gohan immediately attacked again, sending a kick to her stomach and knocking her back to the ground.

"Shit," she murmured to herself. A quick glance at her masters confirmed that they indeed had their own hands full with the Saiyans. So close…

She resolved herself to get to the dragon and all that was standing in her way now was this Saiyan hybrid. She launched herself at him, managing to land a punch on the side of his face and only getting three more from Gohan for her troubles. It was obvious now that she would be no match against the boy in her current state. Her hair took on its traditional silver hue as she quickly made the transition to her own superior form.

Gohan's eyes widened slightly as he took in her transformation, but Dalia refused to give him enough time to digest it. She sent her knee up against his stomach, making him double over. Then she sent an uppercut to his chin, which made him straighten out again. He didn't waste any time, immediately sending a flurry of punches and kicks her way, some of which she managed to duck or avoid.

She spared a quick glance at the dragon once again. He looked impatient, but at least there wasn't anyone there from the other side to make a wish in her place. If I could just knock this guy out for a few minutes…

~oOo~

Bulma pointed in front of her, moving her arm past Videl's shoulder from her perch on the other woman's back. "Look!" she cried as she saw the events going on in the courtyard of the palace. She could barely make out anyone in the flood of people fighting down there, but one thing was for certain: nobody had made a wish yet.

Dende didn't waste any time when he saw that everyone was too occupied to deal with the dragon. He flew down to stand in front of the large creature and quickly formed the wording in his mind. The children… If I get the children out…

"Huike ooraina shibba. Saiyan nine brekka," he screamed up at Purunga who looked all too happy to be noticed again.

Purunga's eyes glowed brightly for a moment before he spoke. "It shall be done!" he bellowed causing a sudden silence to befall the vicinity.

For a moment no one moved as the form of the dragon glowed brightly then disappeared, scattering the giant Dragonballs with his passing. The silence was broken by a sudden choir of baby cries coming from the spot the dragon had previously occupied.

"Bura!" Bulma cried out running past Dende and scooping blue-eyed child into her arms. Only then did she notice the wild-hair one next to her.

"My immortality, you little bastard!" Freeza yelled lunging himself at the young Nameku-jin.

Dende, oblivious to what was happening behind him, stared transfixed at the place previously occupied by Purunga. I don't understand… There should have been two more wishes… What happened? His eyes went wide in realization. They already made two wishes…

"Dende! Move!" Videl screamed tackling the young Namekian out of the way instants before Freeza crashed down on the spot he previously occupied.

"They… they already made the other two wishes!" cried Dende, instantly getting up and turning to look at Freeza. "What… what did they—?"

He trailed off as his answer walked into their line of sight.

Standing next to the entranceway was Cell, arms crossed, looking on with silent amusement. Dende blinked several times.

Cell. The army.

Behind Cell another, taller creature, obviously an Ice-jin, was assessing the situation.

"It's King Kold," Vegeta said quietly. He was only half-conscious of Koola, breaking away from a speechless Goku and landing besides the nightmarish form of Cell, a look of contained anger on his face.

"They—" Gohan stuttered, "they… brought back… their entire… army."

~oOo~

What the devil is going on!

Coran rushed through the empty hallways making his way to where he sensed the disturbance to be. Dalia hadn't called for him, but he had still managed to hear her frustration and anger. Now, all he could sense from her was that cold, calculating hatred that distinguished her transformed form.

Things just got really out of hand, he thought bitterly.

He had been on the search for his brother when he had sensed the draconian ki of Purunga. Upon this, he ordered his escort to continue on without him while he went to make sure everything was still controlled. It had quickly been obvious that his brother wasn't traveling alone and that they were inside the palace. Both the Ginyu Force and Zarbon and Dodoria conceited, being anxious to prove their newly gained abilities against the unaware opponents they were hunting. Since they all sported scouters, they didn't need him to track them down. He'd worry about his sibling later.

Dalia! he called out silently, but already knew that he wouldn't get a straight answer from her. In her present state, only one thing was on her mind and that was destroying her opponent. To his surprise, he did receive a series of images depicting what was happening some where ahead. Cell and Dalia were fighting Son Goku's brat while both his masters where busy with the older Saiyan. Seconds flew by and he finally reached his destination.

"What happened?" he asked to no one in particular struggling to internalize all that was going on at once.

"The dragon's gone," a deep voice answered him. Turning towards it he saw King Kold looking out at the courtyard with a dark expression on his face. "The monkeys managed to make the last wish and now my son's have lost their immortality." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "They will soon pay."

"Wish, my King…" Coran started, then noticed the two Earthling women holding the apparently newborn babies in their hands. "Oh no…"

Before he could think anything else, his eyes darted up to where his master battled. To his surprise, Son Goku's hybrid brat had intervened in their fight and now was struggling to fend off four opponents instead of two and gaining nothing but multiple bruises.

"What the devil does he think he's doing?!" he exclaimed. "He doesn't stand a chance…" He left the phrase hanging as he noticed what the other two Saiyans were doing. Damn…

"Fu…!"

Time seemed to momentarily freeze as he noticed the all too familiar steps coming from the older Saiyan.

"…sion…!"  
Coran's mind raced in sudden understanding and horror of what was to happen next. Their children were safe, and they would show no mercy.

"…ha!"  
A bright white light engulfed the entire area. For a moment, everyone stopped fighting and turned towards its source. As it began to dim away, the majestic form of Gogita became visible, golden hair crowning him and an emerald glare directed towards Freeza and Koola.

The next few moments were a blur. In a flash of golden light, the super fusion was upon the Glai'keel-sei prince and with a quick punch, sent both of them tumbling towards the ground. Gohan took this second of surprise and charged at both Cell and Dalia with renewed vigor making the two of them snap back to reality in order to protect themselves. Coran stood frozen in anger and surprise watching as both princes attacked the fusion again and again to no avail. He clenched his jaw in determination and closed his eyes. Coran could still feel the whirl of fighting ki outside and it only took a moment to study them and comprehend that both his masters where wasting their time fighting this creature. Even with their combined attacks, the fusion was far stronger and could easily defeat them both. The individual Saiyans were one thing and he was sure his masters could defeat them, but this…

Dalia… he called softly at her. I'll need your help if we are to defeat them.

The azure skinned alien paused her fight for a moment, allowing the android Cell to lead the attack, and whirled around to face Coran.

You must keep them away from me, he told her. For this to work, my concentration must not be broken, even for an instant. There is still away.

Dalia narrowed her glowing emerald eyes and flew down towards him. Coran gave her a half smile then kneeled down, summoning power from deep inside his being.

Long minutes oozed by, each one taking a heavy toll on both Freeza and Koola, as again and again, their attacks were defeated.

"What are you two waiting for?!" King Kold asked in irritation storming to where the two of them where. Dalia turned her emerald gaze towards him and pleaded for silence.

"We must protect him," she told him. "The powers he summons are great, but will take all his attention. We must make sure they are not interrupted."

Before the Ice-jin king could ask more, Coran's eyes snapped open glowing brightly.

"Fu…"

His voice sounded strange as he closed one arm on top of the other over his chest. Dalia narrowed her eyes, then suddenly, the past few weeks and his obsession with the recordings of the fusion came into her mind.

"…sion!"  
Coran crossed his hands forming a 'V' before him. Of course! He had said it was a spell!

"…ha!"

The Konack-jin clapped his hands together and from among them, a bright surge of light appeared. Dalia took an involuntary step back as the wizard rose to his feet, a fountain of raw force and energy radiating from him.

"Lord Koola! Lord Freeza!" his voice boomed suddenly cackling with power. Both Ice-jin turned towards him just in time to see the rain of power engulf them. Startled by the unexpected move, Gogita halted his attack for a moment.

"Touch each other!" Coran directed once again falling to a crouch and closing his eyes in concentration.

Freeza and Koola must have obeyed because seconds later, a giant explosion of light and energy centered on the area both beings had previously occupied. Dalia shielded her eyes to protect them from the blinding glare. A moment later, the light melted away and the spectators could make out the lone silhouette in its mists. For a moment, Dalia thought it was Freeza, but then noticed the ocean of differences and quickly dismissed the idea.

It was pale from head to toe, except for the obsidian carapace-like gems that decorated parts of his head, chest, arms and legs. He had a muscular build, far greater than that of Freeza and even of Koola. A small crest crowned his almond shaped eyes that when opened, narrowed their baleful ruby glare on the Saiyan super fusion. The narrow nose and two black lines that ran from beneath his eyes to his chin served to accent the whiteness of the creature. A cold smirk graced the dark lips of the perfect porcelain face as it looked down to examine himself.

A soft chuckle coming from the Ice-jin broke the grave-like silence that had befallen the entire arena and sent shivers down the backs of the travelers from Earth. The Glai'keel-jin prince fusion clenched his fists then raised its crimson eyes to meet those of the Saiyans, once again.

"Not one or the other," he started, his voice seemed to join both that of Freeza and Koola. "Yet with their conviction." He sneered at the other fusion then proceeded to power up.

"I guess I should be called Kooriza. Very well Saiyan, you've met your match."


	9. The Beginning of the End

The king of Glai'keel-sei stood frozen in wonder as he struggled to internalize what he was seeing. Above him, the porcelain fusion powered up to impossible levels that he was certain that even with a scouter he would not comprehend.

'Not one or the other…'

The words of the creature echoed in his mind and he wondered if there truly was logic behind them. This being came from both his sons, both being extremely different from the other personality-wise, yet somehow it had all come together to give birth to the ultimate Glai'keel-jin warrior. He wondered for a moment what they were feeling, if they even felt at all.

King Kold paused and considered what he had just thought. Feeling was something that was denied to the Glai'keel-jin since childhood, at least in the way most other species thought of it. Emotions and feelings were viewed as weakness enemies could exploit hence they were not tolerated. However, cold as his species was, they reflected what they felt in a way unlike most other races. He thought for a moment of the way he felt towards his sons. Honor, loyalty, respect, patience and endurance, pride… Raising them had not been an easy task, yet he was willing to do anything to defend them or their honor. The corners of his lips curled slightly. Already that had cost him his life once, but he was more than willing to do it again. He took an unconscious protective step towards Coran's crouching form.

They were his flesh and blood. The part of him that would endure after his body was gone. Many on his planet called him blessed. Two sons, when many struggled to get even one. His first-born was everything a future King should be. If memory served correctly, he had been just about Koola's age when he had stepped up to the throne after his father's assassination, Koola being born shortly afterwards. Not nearly as hotheaded as Freeza, Koola had always been the type to cut to the chase. He had grown up in his shadow absorbing all he was taught, questioning things, and learning all he could from everything. Koola was more logical while his younger sibling was driven more by impulse. His power had also been great, in time it had turned greater than even his. Koola would make an excellent ruler some day.

Freeza had had a different story from his older brother ever since the beginning. Prior to his birth, his egg had cracked before the shell could fully harden. This had been an almost sure thing that the unborn child would die, and if by some miracle he survived, he'd probably suffer some sort of mental retardation. Freeza had proven wrong all of the doctors and lived to become a great warrior prince. He recalled the everlasting second in which he realized the Saiyan brat had murdered one of his sons and felt the red hot rage boil inside him again. It had taken every ounce of self-control that he had possessed to not throw himself at him that very moment in a single mad attempt to rip him to shreds. What had started out as a matter of personal pride had just hit so much closer to home. It had been obvious that the Saiyan was stronger than he was, yet he set his mind to one last desperate gamble that would either destroy the other, or he would die trying. Honor, loyalty, responsibility, pride . . .

Many species would call this love, yet he wasn't so sure he'd classify it under that. He had seen the word 'love' used many times and each involved a certain degree of fickleness that couldn't be ignored. 'Love' in the terms he had mostly heard it, involved unions between two opposing sexes that he didn't nor did he care to understand. What was love one moment, usually meant hate, the next. It was this inconsistency that drove him to think in the absurdity of emotion. All it brought was confusion and the clouding over of judgment.

The Ice-jin King lifted his eyes back to the battle above their heads. At that very moment, Kooriza had just finished blocking a series of punches from Gogeta and had oppositeed rapidly appearing behind the Saiyan and firing a ki blast that sent the other fusion crashing towards the opposite wall of the courtyard. Upon impact, the onyx walls cracked and broke, opening up a dark maw where the Saiyan fusion had disappeared. King Kold cringed unconsciously at the thought of the ancestral palace being demolished the way it was, but his thoughts were cut short by a sudden blaze of ki from the opening, wrecking it further, and revealing the powered up Gogeta. Kooriza's dark lips curled into a cruel smile as he dashed towards the other fusion, engaging once again in too-fast-to-follow movements with it.

Most would have found it strange that such a delicate-looking creature could be so powerful. But King Kold had long ago learned that it wasn't at all uncommon for the most beautiful and fragile to be the most deadly. He shifted his eyes now to Dalia. Her face was expressionless, but he could tell from her stance that anything unwanted that came within Coran's range would die. He remembered that the first time he had seen her; she had still been a child in more ways than one. She had been barely out of her species' adolescence, yet he could tell from the way she carried herself that she possessed great strength. How ironic, he thought, that he had known Dalia to have had her share of the fickleness of love, however, if it ever came to believing in the existence of any such thing or anything like it, she would also be his best and only example.

Freeza had told him that when Coran had first been brought, he had gone completely mad. She had somehow brought him back out of the world of darkness and torment inside his head. He imagined it must have taken time, but they now shared a bond that was unlike anything he had ever heard of before. They could be worlds apart and still know what the other was thinking. It was a strange union. The two of them worked as one unit. It had been they who, with Dalia's wit and Coran's power, had single handedly restored a dynasty that had been extinct.

King Kold turned to Coran and couldn't help but feel respect for his abilities. The Konack-jin was still crouching with his hands clasped together as if in prayer and his brow furrowed in deep concentration. His eyes, however, no longer shined white. A blood-red light now emerged from the narrow slits he had barely opened. It suddenly hit him that it was the same hue as the eye color of the Glai'keel-jin fusion. In his hands he was now holding a completely different union who possessed a completely different power. What unworldly mastery was he wielding that allowed him to hold two souls together and make them one? How long could he keep it up?

The sudden silence that had fallen over the battlefield made him turn his attention back to the fight at hand. Both fusions had simultaneously separated from each other allowing for the dust of the destruction around them to settle down. No one dared to breathe as the two titans stared each other down measuring the other's strengths and looking for a weakness. For that instant, there was peace before the storm.

~oOo~

Krillin braced himself with the wall as the ground shook for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. Somewhere far away, he could hear the distinct sounds of battle and the strong odor of burned building material. He shot a nervous glance over his shoulder, in the general direction of the battle and let loose and uneasy chuckle.

"Looks like they've started on the fun without us," he muttered.

In front of him, Piccolo and Ailill were too busy tracing Trunks' ki signature to dignify the obvious with a reply.

"I mean, I would've thought we'd be outta here by the time they started fighting," Krillin continued. "This place gives me the creeps."

"It should be up ahead, right around this corner," Ailill said quietly. Piccolo nodded in silent agreement.

"Not that I actually wanted in on the fight myself," Krillin added. "I don't think I could've held up my own against Freeza or Koola..."

"Krillin..." Piccolo's strong voice was heard, a warning in his tone.

"Um, sorry," Krillin said. "I'm just a little nervous."

"Right down here," Ailill said, pointing at the long, winding stairs that led down into a vast darkness.

Krillin peered through the space between Piccolo and Ailill, his eyes widening in surprise. "D- down there?"

There was absolutely no light past the point they were at. No torches, oil lamps, or any other similar mode of illumination. He couldn't even see the bottom of the stairs from his vintage point. All they would have to guide them from this moment on was their ki senses.

"Couldn't we at least get a flashlight, or something?" Krillin asked.

Piccolo was already on his way down the stairs, quickly disappearing into the complete darkness. Ailill motioned Krillin to go next and followed the shorter man into the palace dungeon. They had only taken several steps down the stairs, but the light from the passage they had been on had all but vanished, leaving the three beings in the all-consuming black of the stairwell.

"Hikari."

Suddenly, a glow began to emanate from behind Krillin, making him give a startled jump. He whirled around to find Ailill holding his palm upward, a large ball of pure, white light floating a few centimeters from it. Ailill smiled warmly as the ball floated up from his palm and glided down the stairs to settle above Piccolo's head. Now Krillin could see more or less clearly on what he was walking on. There wasn't much to see. Stonewalls on either side lined the staircase as far as he could tell, heavily contrasting the regal splendor of the palace above they had seen while sneaking in.

A few minutes later, they finally reached the bottom. A long hall illuminated by a handful of scattered torches with cell doors on either side led to yet another set of stair as dimly lit as the previous ones. They descended several similar levels before finally reaching Trunk's ki.

"This is the place," Ailill announced.

Krillin stepped up to the door as if to push it open, then paused, turned to Ailill and stepped aside. "Maybe you should try it first," he said sheepishly.

Ailill stepped towards the door and leaned forwards to examine it. "Somebody's been busy," he observed smiling curiously and pointing at the indentations, bumps, and cracks that ran the length of the entire steel door.

"Poor Trunks," Krillin said. "So how do you plan on opening it?"

Ailill didn't answer. Instead, he gently pushed Krillin and Piccolo back a few steps behind him and stood a few paces from the door. "Trai dami kruath," he said softly. Something crackled around the door and it suddenly fell slightly ajar.

"Cool," Krillin cried. "Uh, can I touch it now?"

"Go ahead and open it," Ailill replied. "We better be quick, though..." He trailed off as another blast rattled the walls.

Krillin jogged to the door and cautiously pushed it open. Not knowing what to expect, he poked his head on the other side and glanced around. He frowned and pulled his head back. "Now that's weird," he said. "I can feel him but I can't see him..."

Piccolo stepped past Krillin and walked into the prison cell. There were shackles and chains strewn across the floor in pieces. Obviously, Trunks had pulled himself free of his restraints, but it would've been impossible to escape a magic barrier. He was still puzzling over the situation when the door suddenly shut itself and someone jumped him. Taken by surprise, Piccolo was knocked to the ground. "What the...!" he yelled in surprise.

His attacker stopped abruptly at the sound of his voice. "Piccolo!"

The door slid open again, Ailill and Krillin stepping through in alarm. "Piccolo, what happened?" Ailill cried. He was surprised to find Trunks standing over Piccolo's rather large frame on the floor.

"Trunks!" Krillin exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Krillin," Trunks greeted happily. He turned to look at Ailill, narrowing his eyes at the Konack-jin. "What's he doing here?"

"It's alright, Trunks." This came from Piccolo, who was now standing up again. "Ailill's one of the good guys. Don't worry."

The statement didn't seem to put him too much at ease, but he reluctantly decided to trust Piccolo and Krillin's judgment at the moment. "How did you guys find me? And where's Dad?"

"We'll explain later," Krillin told him, starting to usher him towards the door. "Vegeta, uh... has his hands kinda full at the moment."

"How come?" Trunks inquired. Another blast shook the place again. He looked up and a sort of understanding lit in his eyes. "Is there a fight going on?"

"Never mind that," Piccolo said. "Let's just get out of here."

As they started going for the stairwell that led back up to the palace, Trunks' stomach rumbled loudly. "Man, I'm starving!" he cried. "I've barely eaten anything for days."

"Yes, your energy reserve isn't too high at the moment," Ailill spoke. "I can do something to help you for now, if you'll let me."

Trunks stepped back from him and glanced at him warily.

"It's alright, Trunks, really," Krillin reassured.

Desperate for something, anything, that would help him not have to go through so many pains to restore his ki, Trunks allowed Ailill to come near him again. Ailill closed his eyes and rested his hand on Trunks' shoulder. A glow of energy lit them both as he worked on passing some of his own energy into the boy. When it was over, Ailill sighed and stepped back.

"I guess that'll have to do for now," he told Trunks. "I can't spare too much, because I need it for other things."

Already feeling revitalized, Trunks nodded. "Let's go!"

~oOo~

Having calmed down baby Bura's crying, Bulma now shifted her focus to the battle happening above. Her heart leapt to her throat as the full impact of what was happening sank in. She cradled her baby in her arms as she realized that they were standing way too close to the fight for their own good. If anything were to happen to her baby now it would be on her shoulders. Videl realized the same thing, speaking a warning moments before she could.

"We should hide somewhere," Videl suggested, holding baby Goten against herself.

Bulma nodded in agreement quickly standing and sheltering the baby against her chest. She had learned that lesson rather painfully multiple times by now. As they began to move away from the battle scene, another blast sounded up above them. Bulma cringed and instinctively looked back up. No matter how many times she saw it, the fusion between her husband and her oldest friend always awed her. It never ceased to amaze her how much Vegeta had changed in the last several years. The very fact that he was willing to fuse together with his long-time rival just to save the people he loved—those he now openly called family—spoke volumes.

"This way!" Videl cried, motioning Bulma to the general direction of the castle interior. It wouldn't be safe if a stray blast hit the structure and made it crumble above them, but it was sure as hell a lot safer than staying in the middle where a stray blast could hit either of them. They hurried to a temporary safe haven and dropped down on the floor, leaning against the wall. Bulma glanced up again at the fight, cringing as Gogeta took a particularly heavy blow and flew back a few meters. She forced her eyes away from the fight so that she could finally direct her attention to her newborn child.

"Oh, Bura…" she sighed as she began to fuss over the baby, examining her from head to toe to make sure nothing was out of place, and that she didn't have any remaining Ice-jin parts. "My sweet baby, what did they do to you?"

"Don't worry, Bulma, she's okay," Videl said. She shifted Goten in her arms and turned back to where the action was. "They're both okay. And I think they will be, too." She nodded in the direction of Gogeta. They watched as Gogeta ducked a punch and seemed to disappear suddenly. He appeared behind Kooriza, the latter landing an elbow on Gogeta's chest, making him lose his advantage for a few seconds. It seemed that was all Kooriza needed to take control of the fight. With a hard kick to the back, Kooriza sent Gogeta flying back to the ground. Gogeta regained himself halfway down and flew back up to meet his foe. As if somehow rejuvenated, Gogeta began a series of punches and kicks that started forcing Kooriza back into submission. "Gogeta has the advantage for now, but who knows how long they can hold out."

"You're right." Bulma turned to look toward the inside of the castle. She knew her son was fine; he just had to be. Now that she had her baby back, her faith was renewed. "I wish they'd get here soon. What in the world could be taking them so long?"

Everything will be fine once Trunks gets here with Piccolo and Ailill. I know it will be.

~oOo~

"Hurry up!" Trunks called back to the others as he stopped with irritation at their slower pace. "I don't wanna miss any of the action!"

Piccolo frowned at Trunks as he caught up to the boy. "This isn't a game, Trunks. If Freeza and Koola win, it will mean the end for all of us."

"I wish there was a way to help the others, but I don't think I even want to go take a look at what's going on up there," Krillin muttered as he reached the others.

Ailill was the last to reach them, stopping to try and get a feel of the way back up to the surface. "I think we came from this way," he told the others, pointing.

Krillin and Piccolo started following, but Trunks held his ground. "Wait!" he exclaimed. "We can't leave without my sword!"

"You're going to have to forget your sword, Trunks," Piccolo said with irritation. "There are more important things happening right now."

"But Tapion gave it to me; I can't just leave it behind!"

Before Piccolo could reply, Ailill turned to Trunks curiously. "You've mentioned him before, in reference to my brother. Who is this Tapion?"

Trunks crossed his arms over his chest impatiently. "He looks a lot like you and the other guy, so I figured you were the same species," he said. "But he's like an older brother to me and he gave me that sword as a gift. I'm not going to lose it to these morons."

"Was it a sword from his planet?" Ailill looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, it's legendary. According to my dad, it's the sword that turned Freeza into cold cuts," Trunks said proudly.

Ailill turned to Piccolo. "I think it might be wise if we did go retrieve it. If what I suspect is correct, I may know of a way to help the others after all."

"So where is it?" Krillin asked Trunks.

Trunks pursed his lips sheepishly. "I'm not sure where they took it to."

"Do you expect us to go room by room in this damned place, then?" Piccolo said harshly. "It could be anywhere; this is a waste of time."

Ailill shook his head. "No, if I know the Ice-jin, I'm sure they'd want to display it somewhere proudly. It's not going to be out in the open where we can find it easily, but I'd be willing to bet they stored it with the rest of their weapons."

"The armory?" Trunks asked.

"There's a strong possibility," Ailill replied.

"Well, it's certainly worth a shot…" Krillin added, looking at Piccolo.

"Alright, let's go. Quickly," Piccolo relented. "But if it's not there, I'm not going on a wild goose chase."

"This way," Ailill said and turned to start leading the way.

They had walked for five minutes in silence when they heard loud footsteps coming directly at them. The owners' ki were definitely stronger than a regular person's, something that made the four companions stop in their tracks. Piccolo pushed Ailill behind him as Krillin and Trunks stepped forward beside Piccolo.

"Why do these ki feel oddly familiar?" Krillin muttered nervously.

It didn't take long to get an answer to his question. His eyes widened in shock as he got a look at the creatures that were suddenly in front of them. Blocking their way down the large hall were the remaining four members of the Ginyu Force: Jeice, Recoome, Burter, and Guldo. On both sides of the Ginyu Force stood Zarbon and Dodoria, while hovering off behind all of them were Koola's Special Force: Neizu, Dore, and their leader, Sauza.

Jeice smirked at the four compainions. "Going somewhere?"

"I think they're upset that they weren't invited to the party up there," added Burter.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes dangerously. "If I were you, I'd get out of our way now."

This caused a round of laughter from their enemies. "Ooooh, we're sooo scared," said Recoome.

Zarbon's eyes zeroed in on Trunks. "Is this Vegeta's little brat? Doesn't look so tough to me."

"Wanna try me?" taunted Trunks. His hair was already blowing around him from the force of his own energy as he started to power up.

"The little monkey kid has spunk, I'll give him that," Guldo chipped in.

"Just let us kill you real quick so that we can get back to watching Freeza and Koola kick the living shit out of the Saiyans," Dodoria said.

As Koola's Special Forces chuckled from behind the living blockade, Piccolo turned his attention to them. "I've already killed you once before," he called to them. "What makes you think it's going to be any different this time?"

"You'll find we're full of surprises this time, Namekian," Sauza shot back.

"You're not so tough without your precious leader, Ginyu," Krillin called to the Ginyu Force members. "Last I heard, he was living a happy life in Bulma's pond as a frog."

Jeice gritted his teeth and gestured toward Recoome, Burter, and Guldo. "You'll find we're more than enough to make sure you don't make it out of here alive."

The gesture had been a sign for the others to prepare for battle. Almost immediately, Recoome struck a rather uncomfortable-looking pose and called out his name. He was followed in the same fashion by Burter and then Guldo, and finally Jeice in the middle. Their routine had varied slightly from the one they had seen before. It seemed that now that Ginyu was gone, Jeice had taken up the leader position. When they finished, everyone, including their own companions, were looking at them in strange amusement. Trunks blinked several times before he burst out into laughter.

"I can't believe you were the guys that gave my dad and the others trouble before," Trunks said between snickers.

"Leave the kid to me," Zarbon said, his eyes not leaving Trunks. "I have a score to settle with his father and I believe this is the perfect payment."

That did it for Trunks. He powered up into Super Saiyan form in a matter of seconds and charged into Zarbon. Not having expected Trunks to be so bold, Zarbon was caught by surprise and lost his footing. Dodoria wasn't far behind, making sure to back up his partner. Suddenly their movements all became a blur of light too fast for the others to follow with their eyes.

Piccolo, in turn, quickly jumped in to distract Koola's lackies from Trunks' fight. He knew the boy would be able to hold his own against those two without much problem, but he might tire easily if he had too many enemies at once. Suddenly, the only ones left unoccupied were Krillin, Ailill, and the Ginyu Force. Ailill was staring at the four aliens nervously.

Krillin squared his shoulders and readied himself for battle. He knew he was stronger now than when he had first encountered the Ginyu Force, but he knew that they probably were too. There was no way he would be able to take all four of them at once. If only Goku were here…

"Krillin," Ailill said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can lend you some of my energy for you to fend them off, but it won't last long."

Krillin nodded. "It's better than nothing."

"Just be careful," Ailill warned, loud enough so that the other could hear. "Any heavy attacks and we'll bring down the entire building over us. Then none of us get out."

Ailill took a few steps back and muttered a spell that formed a light shield around himself. Then he said a few more words that seemed to startle Krillin into attention. He stood up straight and hovered off the ground for several seconds. When he landed again, he took notice of the Ginyu Force. Recoome and Guldo were playing rock, paper, scizzors for some bizarre reason that he could not comprehend. With his new surge of energy, he charged at Jeice. The other was ready for the attack and met Krillin's blows effortlessly. Burter joined in from the other end, but surprisingly enough, it wasn't too much for Krillin to handle. He was fending them both off nicely, when suddenly he realized that the other two Force members weren't attacking. It didn't take long to realize that Piccolo, apparently having finished off two of Koola's lackies, was engaged in a fight with Recoome, Guldo, and Sauza.

On Trunks' end, things were starting to get heavy. Zarbon was stronger than he'd anticipated and it didn't help that Dodoria was weighing him down as well.

"You know," Zarbon said conversationally amidst their blows and punches, "I used to be able to crush your father to pieces when he was your age."

Trunks growled in anger. "Yeah, and then he finished you off." He pushed Dodoria off him with a surge of rage, making the ugly pink creature slam hard against a wall, promptly removing him from the fight.

Startled, Zarbon backed away from Trunks and quickly shifted into his more powerful form. Trunks shot a burst of energy at him, which Zarbon ducked out of the way for. The energy ball hit a wall behind Zarbon, making a large hole on the wall.

"You keep doing that, and you'll bring the entire palace over all of us," Zarbon told him as he lunged at the boy again.

With another growl, Trunks kicked Zarbon away from him and used the opportunity to power up to Super Saiyan 2. As he caught sight of the powered-up boy, Zarbon's eyes turned to saucers and he backed away. "What the…?"

Trunks smirked and caught Zarbon with a hard kick to the stomach, causing the ugly creature to knock against another wall. There was no hesitation on Trunks' part; the boy shot a quick energy ball at Zarbon, completely eliminating any trace of the other being. Dodoria's unconscious form of the ground received the same fate. By the time he turned around to look at the others, the only ones left fighting against Krillin and Piccolo were Jeice and Sauza. Ailill was sitting in the ground, far behind the action, breathing hard. Jeice and Sauza were already tired and Trunks could tell they would be defeated soon.

He was right.

When they were done, the four companions regrouped around Ailill.

"Are you OK, Ailill?" asked Krillin.

Ailill nodded. "Yes, I am well. I can feel the energy being restored already. I must not waste too much of it, if I am to open the portal again."

"Good," Piccolo replied. "Then let's go get that damn sword and get out of here already."

~oOo~

The battle had dragged on to what seemed like an eternity even though in reality, less than half an hour had passed. Both fusions faced each other, but from her vintage point Dalia couldn't tell for sure who had the upper hand. Several times her masters had dominated, at others the Saiyans had, but overall the battle was in constant stalemate. To their advantage, no one had challenged her or the Ice-jin king so the endurance of the fusion was ensured. Her immediate worry was Coran. Even though his expression had not changed throughout the entire ordeal thus far, visible signs of strain were beginning to makes themselves noticeable. His breathing had become rapid and shallow and on more than one occasion, Dalia could have sworn she had seen a trickle of blood oozing from his lips or nose, only to have it disappear instants later.

"This is not good," she muttered.

"I beg your pardon, Dalia. Did you say something?" King Kold said pacing towards her. Dalia considered for a moment whether or not to speak of her worry to King Kold, but finally opted to.

"Have you noticed how my Lords' fusion has taken little damage from the attacks of the Saiyans despite the fact that they appear to be matched in strength?" she said deciding to verbalize something that had been bothering her for several minutes.

"You have discovered the reason for this," he replied. It wasn't a question.

"Coran is absorbing all the damage," Dalia told him. "It gives us an advantage, but not sure for how long Coran will hold."

"Can we do anything for him?" Kold inquired.

"Not like this…" Dalia said. "I fear any outside influence might break his concentration and affect the fusion."

There were a few seconds of silence while they both thought of possible solution.

"Perhaps we could-" King Kold started, but was cut short by a burst of light from the aerial battle field. Both beings looked up at the battle to find that the Saiyan super fusion had stopped glowing. The characteristic super Saiyan blonde hair had been replaced by a dark mane and the golden aura had completely disappeared. For a moment, the arena was quiet as everyone present took in what had just occurred.

"They lost power…" Dalia said incredulously. "They've completely powered down!"

Gogeta looked at his surrounding with an expression of confusion and insult written all over his face before finally locking eyes with Kooriza. The Ice-jin super fusion couldn't look smugger. The few seconds of peace were ended as the Glai'keel-sei prince fusion lunged itself at the Saiyan, driving him into what was left of the far wall making it crumble under the force of the impact. Kooriza moved to hover over the spot the Saiyan had fallen and waited for it to emerge, but no one did. Several seconds later, part of the rubble flew aside and a couple of very stunned Saiyan stepped out. The only thing that Dalia could hear was a distinctive "Oh fuck…" coming from Vegeta before the Ice-jin fusion charged at them once again punching both Goku and Vegeta into the sky, then appearing behind them and blasting them through several of the palace's walls.

Vegeta emerged from the rubble several seconds later in full Super Saiyan two form and charged at Kooriza while bellowing a challenge, Goku just at his heels only to have their target disappear before their eyes nano-seconds before impact. Kooriza appeared behind them strangling Vegeta with his tail and grabbing Goku by his hair, then sending him slamming into the ground several hundred feet below.

"Or they could do that…" Dalia commented with a sly smile. Coran's breathing had normalized and it was painfully obvious the Ice-jin princes had full control of the battle. She knew the Saiyans were made out of sturdy material, but she seriously doubted that they could survive in this for more than several more minutes. Currently Goku had managed to pick himself up and was engaged in a series of too-fast-to-be-followed jabs and parries with Kooriza while Vegeta had still not managed to free himself from the fusion's iron grip and was rapidly changing color from a bright shade of red to purple. In a swift movement, Kooriza moved Vegeta to intercept Goku's punch while still dangling from the tail's grip. Goku froze in horror as he realized the fusion had used Vegeta to shield itself. Kooriza smiled then released Vegeta who hovered in the air for several seconds before crashing down to the ground.

"You… monster!" Goku cried out in outrage.

Kooriza acknowledged his comment by tilting its head forwards ever so slightly and smiling innocently.

"How could y-"

Goku's words were cut short as Kooriza slammed him down next to Vegeta. For a moment, they were both still.

"Kakarot… you asshole…" Vegeta muttered turning his head towards the other Saiyan who had just crashed by his side. He rose to his knees and heaped in deep breaths of the precious air that had just been granted to him once again.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta…" Goku stammered wiping the blood that was dripping down his chin. "I didn't see-"

"You didn't see that fucking lizard was choking me?" Vegeta yelled at him. "These people do not play fair! You should have known!"

"The break is over boys," Kooriza interrupted appearing several feet above their heads. "If it's not too much trouble, could we wrap this up sometime today?"

"You filthy son of a bitch!" Vegeta roared throwing himself at Kooriza. The fusion single handedly blocked his punch then help Vegeta by the attack arm and fired a ki blast into his torso.

"Vegeta!" Goku screamed as the other Saiyan once again flew across the makeshift arena. He could feel himself trembling in anger at the way the battle was turning out. Yet he wasn't going to give up. Things had looked bleak before, and they had always triumphed. Somehow, they would succeed. They had to.

~oOo~

Finding a legendary sword was the easy part, Ailill thought as they raced towards the battle scene. The journey he had embarked on several weeks before was reaching its climax and the simplest action performed to date had been navigating the palace maze using the hazy memories of his escape. They had stumbled into the armory and, thankfully, Trunks had quickly identified the ancient weapon they had bee hunting after. To make his task easier, the sword had been set up on a pedestal in trophy-like fashion. As Ailill had hoped, the sword was indeed not an ordinary sword, but had been crafted by his ancestors with a very specific purpose in mind. Now, it just might prove useful once again. Their musings had been abruptly cut short with the disappearance of the Saiyan super fusion's ki. All three other members of their party had immediately made haste in retracing their steps and finding a way towards the place where the battle was unfolding.

The circle was slowly drawing to a close and he would do everything in his power to see it through. The same way this had all started, it had to end if he and his companions were to ever find peace again. It soon became obvious they were drawing closer as the sounds and vibrations from the nearby explosions became louder.

"We're almost there!" Ailill encouraged.

Before anyone could respond there was a loud crash to their right followed by Vegeta smashing through the wall closest to them. The four of them instinctively dashed for cover then gaped in total disbelief at the golden haired Saiyan.

"Bastard…" Vegeta swore while picking himself up and preparing to dash out again. "You're going to pay for th-"

Now it was Goku's turn to come crashing through the wall, right into semi-standing Vegeta and together with him, through another two rooms behind them.

"Dad!" Trunks exclaimed immediately running through the rubble after his father.

"Trunks! Wait, no!" Ailill exclaimed diving towards Trunks and knocking him flat on the ground several yards away seconds before a ki ray dashed right through the spot he had previously occupied and exploded somewhere beyond.

"Take cover!" Piccolo called as the entire palace shook to its foundations because of the powerful shock wave. For several agonizing moments, it seemed like the entire hallway was going to cave in on top of them as building material and large blocks fell from the ceiling, but somehow it held.

"At least we can thank them for sturdy architecture…" Krillin muttered while dusting himself off. He then looked around for his friends. "Is everyone alright?"

"What the hell was that? I've never felt anything like it!" Piccolo said walking towards Ailill and Trunks. Ailill was checking on a stunned Trunks, who was still looking in the direction the ki blast had gone.

"Was that Freeza?" Krillin exclaimed, horror visible all over his face.

"No…"

The four of them turned to find both Vegeta leaning heavily against one of the crumbling walls. Goku soon appeared besides him. Both could not have looked worse. Their bodies were covered in freely bleeding wounds and scratches, their clothing burnt in several places, and from the swelling it was obvious both sported several broken bones. It was difficult to believe they could still stand.

"Dad!" Trunks cried in relief, throwing himself at his father. A pained groan caused Trunks to back off sheepishly.

"That was Kooriza…"Goku spoke. "It's Koola and Freeza's fusion." He then forced a weak smile. "He's giving us a little trouble."

"That was a little?" Krillin said in shock. "Have you seen the state you're in, Goku? No offense, but I've seen you look better… and you were dead at the time."

"We must go, Kakarot," Vegeta intervened. "He'll come after us any second! We must finish him now!"

"No!" a high pitched voice yelled from the other side of the hall way. "You're going to get yourself killed!" Bulma was running towards them, baby girl in arms and followed closely by Videl with baby Goten and Dende.

"Now is not the time for your sermons, Bulma," Vegeta retorted. "There are bigger things to worry about!" With that, he levitated and flew back towards the fight. Goku took a deep breath and followed.

"They are going to get themselves killed!" Bulma exclaimed angrily. "Ever since Gogeta disappeared they've done nothing but take a heavy beating! That thing seems unfazed; their attacks are not getting through!"

"Where's Gohan?" Piccolo asked.

"Locked in combat with Cell," Krillin responded taking a quick peek at the arena. "At least he doesn't look nearly so beat up."

"We need a plan!" Videl exclaimed. "Stupid Saiyans; they think they can solve everything by punching holes into things! Look where that was gotten them!"

"My brother is holding the Ice-jin fusion in place," Ailill observed. "As long as he is in control, that will not change."

A deep silence followed his statement each remembering the power the other twin had been capable of showing.

"Wait!" Videl exclaimed. "I've got an idea! It might not be perfect, but it should buy us some time."

"What is it?" Dende inquired.

"Ailill," Videl started. "What is it you need to send those two back were they came from?"

"The same setting that was used to bring them," he replied. "It was an altar, but the important parts were the two stone circles my brother and I stood in."

"Ok," Videl said thinking quickly. "We can manage that."

"I also need my brother," Ailill added. "It was a double spell. Both of us need to participate."

"That may be harder," Videl said. "But I'll leave it to you."

"Where are you going with this, Videl?" Piccolo asked stepping towards her.

"I've got a plan," she replied eagerly. "It's going to be dangerous, and it'll put all of us at risk… But we have so much to gain if we succeed."

"What did you have in mind?" Krillin asked her.

"Here's the thing…"

~oOo~

What are they doing?

The arena had been pretty much desolated from the moment the serious fighting had begun. Everyone that didn't need to be there was gone, and even some that should be, had disappeared. Victory was only a stone's throw away but suddenly now Dalia looked on as from within the relative safety of the surrounding palace, one of the warriors from Earth, a tall green one, flew out and join the fight the eldest son of Goku was having against the android, Cell. Several seconds later, the young Saiyan tore himself from that battle and joined his father and Vegeta against Kooriza. Before she could see more, her senses flashed to life as she sensed two beings speed in their direction.

"My Lord!" she called out to King Kold and immediately dashed to intercept them.

"You!" she exclaimed noticing that the one who had engaged with her in battle was the same purple-haired demi Saiyan they had kept locked in the dungeons. Vegeta's kid. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other short human intercept King Kold.

Trunks took the opportunity to release all the repressed anger and desperation he had experienced the past days. Still, the silver haired woman he fought was good, and not nearly enough of the punches he was throwing at her were actually hitting her. But that wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He risked a sideways glance and saw Ailill coming towards them. The split-second distraction cost him as Dalia blasted him towards the ground. Not giving him a second to recover, Dalia dove after him, but halfway there, she felt her entire body freeze in mid-flight.

Dazed, she looked around only to realize she seemed to be caught in an invisible web. She sighted Ailill out of the corner of her eye, but before she could fully understand what was happening to her she screamed as a thousand invisible knives tore into her body. The pain stopped, but before she could fully catch her breath, it began again intensifying with each second. Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, still bound by invisible strings that were slowly ripping her apart. She cried out again in pain and shut her eyes tightly. Before she knew it, her strength had been completely drained by the spell that held her.

Not like this… She thought bitterly as locks of her now indigo hair blew into her face. She was being defeated by the same power she was trying to defend. Overwhelmed for the first time in ages by the feeling of complete helplessness she gritted her teeth and waited for the deathblow that was sure to come.

But it never did.

In utter disbelief, she saw Ailill dive out of the way of a giant ki ball. Seconds later, Kooriza had landed next to her. He looked down at her momentarily then turned its glare upon Ailill.

"My Lords…?" Dalia managed to say through her pain, not able to believe what had just happened. This was something out of character for both her masters. Before he could respond, a bright light engulfed him, and a handfull of seconds later, it had divided back into a startled Koola and Freeza.

"No…" she whispered. "Coran…"

Dalia climbed to her knees and risked a look at the mage. Coran had half collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion but seemed uninjured and Dalia noticed that he had not been attacked. Coran looked up at her and smiled weakly.

"Why did you…" she said even though she knew he couldn't hear her. All battles had unanimously paused and now their small group was the center of attention.

"What happened, Brother?" Freeza spoke into her thoughts.

"I'm not sure…" Koola replied.

"What's happened is that now we can have a fair fight," Vegeta called out from the other side of the arena. He and Goku were stepping out of the palace ruins and to Dalia's horror, looked fully healed. "Perhaps now you'd like to pick it up where we left off? No dirty tricks this time."

"You idiot!" Freeza snapped at Coran.

"Now the little Namekian has healed them," Koola seethed. He focused his enraged glare on Coran. "Fuse us again, now!"

Coran opened his mouth to express his desire to do so, but found that he couldn't even control his vocal chords from the exhaustion. It wasn't difficult for everyone to realize that the energy he would need to make and hold the fusion once again had been depleted. In a split second, Vegeta and Goku, both powered up to their respective levels of Super Saiyan, had engaged Freeza and Koola in combat once again.

With her masters distracted for the moment, Dalia focused her attention on Ailill and Trunks. The former was holding a sword over Coran's chest threateningly, while Trunks stood in defensive stance in front of Dalia.

"What the hell do you think you're…" Dalia began, but was promptly interrupted.

"If you attempt anything, I will use it on him," Ailill threatened nervously. His hand had a slight tremble to it, but he managed to hold the sword well regardless.

"It'll take more than a measly sword to kill Coran," Dalia responded with confidence.

Coran shook his head. "Dalia," he croaked. "Not… this one…"

"That's Tapion's legendary sword!" Trunks added proudly. "It was forged magically to control magic. It held back demons in its day; don't think it won't affect him."

"Do as we say," Ailill said.

"You wouldn't kill your own brother," Dalia insisted.

Ailill drew a deep breath and let it out loudly. Swallowing hard, he replied, "No, if I did, I would ruin our chances of reopening the portal. But I have nothing against crippling him so that he cannot leave. I will do what must be done to set things right."

The determination shone through Ailill's eyes, and despite his shaky appearance, she could see that he meant it.

"Over my dead body," she vowed dangerously. She meant it too. She couldn't lose Coran, she just couldn't.

"Dalia," Coran called weakly. "Let it go. There… are more… important things."

Dalia stared at Coran curiously, not understanding what he meant.

"You must… protect… Lord Freeza and… Lord Koola," Coran continued. The subtle emphasis on Koola's name snapped Dalia back into reality with sudden realization. Yes, she had to protect her Lord Koola, if nothing else. There was still hope after all. Dalia risked a glance at the ongoing battle between her lords and the two eldest Saiyans. They were evenly matched and she knew that her lords could hold their own against the Saiyan monkeys with no problem. If she could just do her part and get out of there, she would meet the Ice-jin at their pre-arranged rendezvous later and continue their bigger, more important battle.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the tall Namekian and Goku's son had the upperhand on Cell. We must lose some battles if we are to win the war, she thought with resolve. Cell was a pawn, a distraction. By the time they eliminated him, she would be well on her way with her lords. Coran's brother wouldn't even have a chance to reopen the portal, and even if he did, there was no way her lords would be so easily defeated.

~oOo~

"Over here!" Videl called to Ailill as he was making his way in her general direction, Coran held close to him with a sword pointed at his side. Beside her, Dende was actively piling debris and rocks into a pyramid shaped altar in the middle of the courtyard. The battles were still raging above them, but they weren't touching the ground near them, thankfully. "We've got the altar ready, just like you described it."

Ailill examined the makeshift preparations. The ceremony called for an altar shaped like a pyramid, and a large, open space. The courtyard was wide open—even more so now that battles had blasted a large portion of the palace to pieces. Dende and Videl had gathered what debris they could to arrange a stone pyramid, as per Ailill's instructions. Even though it wasn't exactly how he would have preferred, they had done the best they could, given what time and materials they had been able to find. He supposed that beggars couldn't be choosers at times like these.

"Do you think this works?" Dende asked dubiously. Nervously, he glanced up towards the sky as he heard Gohan yell "Kame-hah-meh-hah!", and watched as he released a beam of energy in Cell's direction. Piccolo was floating behind Gohan, watching warily as the beam caught Cell and started to disintegrate him.

"Yes, this will do," Ailill replied. He gently pushed his brother up toward his appropriate place on the pyramid altar, and motioned Videl over. She hurried to his side without a word. "Here, hold this against him like so." He showed her how he was holding the sword and watched as she imitated his grip. "Don't kill him, but if he tries to leave, wound him." He watched as Coran sagged against Videl's side, too tired to move. "Though I doubt we will have many problems. When you hear me start saying the incantation, stand back as quickly as possible. You're strong, but you cannot withstand the amount of power that will be released here tonight."

"What about me?" Dende called from the front of the makeshift pyramid.

"You have done well, Dende, I thank you. But now I think it is time for you to stand back," he called to her. "This will be dangerous." Dende nodded and with one final glance at Coran, flew back to where Bulma had taken cover with the two babies.

As he turned to glance at his brother, he felt a tug of emotion on his heart. How had it come to be this way? How could his brother have betrayed him for these monsters, ignoring their fraternal bond to form a bond with Dalia instead? How could he care so little for his own blood and kin? Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts from his mind. There was no time for that now; what was done was done and over with, and now it was time to look at the present and towards the future to right the wrongs he had been reluctantly forced to participate in.

Closing his eyes, he muttered the incantation necessary for him to gather his brother's power. Videl didn't hesitate in removing the sword from Coran's side and flying away from the pyramid as quickly as she could. Before he knew what was going on, Ailill felt the immense power going inside of him, coursing through him, becoming him. When he opened his eyes, he vaguely acknowledged Coran's slumped figure beside him, shooting two beams of light in either direction of his body. Concentrating all of the power to the task, he muttered another spell and watched as the air in front of him cracked with energy. Slowly, in the space some meters ahead of him, the dark background fabric of the night seemed to rip open little by little. It wasn't long before the small slit became a wide circle that kept growing.


	10. Terminus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: Tamith deserves the credit for a large portion of this chapter. She rocks! There is a short epilogue to come after this. It's half done, but unfortunately, Tamith hasn't been able to finish her part. I may post what I have and then add to it if she ever gets around to her part.

The opening of the portal to the afterlife took the little strength Coran had that kept him standing. As the gap widened, he collapsed onto the floor altogether. His vision swam for a few moments as he felt something inside him tear apart. He tasted something bitter and metallic in his mouth then began to cough uncontrollably. Cursing silently, he realized that the magic that was keeping him together was starting to fade. The use of so much heavy magic so close in timing was taking a serious toll on his body, and the wounds he had taken upon himself as the fusion were opening. Still, this had been his choice and he had one last card to play.

He'd play it well.

Coran looked at his twin brother and saw that Ailill had his hands full with opening the portal. He could see the strain it was causing him and knew that for the older twin, the magic he was wielding was completely unknown. Only he had managed to safely master that much power, so while Ailill battled with all the souls of Hell and stabilized the gateway, he had several precious minutes. He took a few moments to see where everyone was. Dalia and Vegeta's brat were once again locked in combat. She appeared unharmed and at top strength, but he knew better. Ailill's attack would have killed her in several more seconds had he not intervened, and the traces of magic that were still in her body were enough to seriously weaken and hurt her. Still, the alien princess was a warrior and she was not letting her pain show. As long as she used her unnatural speed to avoid the Saiyan's attacks, she would appear completely fine.

King Kold was another story. Now that Cell had been destroyed, both the Saiyans and the Namekian had teamed up with the short human and ganged up on him. It was taking King Kold all the tricks he could muster to fend off three attackers, but for the moment he was holding his ground.

Finally he turned towards the aerial battle between his immediate masters and the Saiyans. There, his senses could pick up the trouble his eyes couldn't immediately see, what he had learned while holding the fusion. Koola and Freeza were fighting practically back to back and on more than one occasion, Freeza turned from momentarily stunning Vegeta with a ki blast to attacking Goku while Koola hung back.

"Dammit…" he muttered. Things were happening faster than he had once anticipated. Seeing that Ailill was still busy with the portal he dug deep into his being for enough magical reserves to stabilize himself with. A façade of health was all he needed, enough to hold together a little bit longer.

He wiped his mouth clean of blood and stood. Above him, what he had been dreading was occurring. Goku had indeed noticed Koola was slightly out of pace and was exploiting the new found weakness. Freeza had his hands full with Vegeta and could not safeguard his older brother as much as was necessary.

Then it happened.

Goku landed a powerful blow to Koola's stomach and sent him tumbling downwards. The Ice-jin prince crash-landed on the ground then managed to pick himself up only to double over in pain and begin vomiting blood.

Dalia! Coran thought in urgency, then saw that she was trying to make her way over, but was being hampered by the purple haired boy. Enough of this! With a quick whisper, he engaged the spell that had kept Trunks prisoner so many times before. He felt a wave of pain shoot through his body, but smiled satisfactorily as the energy cube solidified around the young half Saiyan locking him inside.

Once free of the demi Saiyan burden, Dalia flew up towards the battle and intercepted Goku as he was flying down towards Koola.

"What's the rush?" she asked Goku as he stopped a few feet before her in confusion.

"I have no fight with you," Goku told the silver haired girl. "This is none of your business. Get out of my way!"

"And if I decide not to?" Dalia replied is a sly smile. The few seconds of hesitation from Goku's part were all she needed. Quickly reading his ki, she powered up hers to match it.

Goku's eyes widened as he sensed the spike in her ki signature. "It can't be!" he exclaimed. Not giving him a chance to contemplate the thought further, she quickly dashed at him landing a punch to his chest that sent him tumbling backwards several yards before he could regain control.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta called at him from his battle with Freeza. "She's not-" He started, but a ki blast from the Ice-jin interrupted him mid-sentence.

Goku turned back towards Dalia just in time to block another of her blows. Goku powered up to attack her but she agilely danced out of the way. He tried again several times and obtained the same results. "Damn!" he swore. "You're fast!"

"…really…" he heard Vegeta call at him again then turn to block Freeza.

"I noticed!" Goku called back, thinking Vegeta had been stating the obvious. By now Dalia was attacking again and it took all of his attention to stop them.

"…that strong!" Vegeta yelled at him as he flew by engaged in a rapid fist fight with the younger Ice-jin prince.

Goku fired a ki ball at Dalia that she couldn't block and sent her crashing towards the surface. "What did you say?" he called at Vegeta while keeping a wary eye on the warrior princess.

"Dammit, Kakarot!" Vegeta exclaimed in frustration. He fired a ki blast at Freeza allowing him several seconds. "She's fighting defensively! She can imitate your ki, but she's not really that strong! Finish her!"

"Oh…" Goku said realizing that his attack had not been strong enough to knock someone at his level of strength down. Dalia was back several moments later and he confirmed what Vegeta had told him. She was very fast and used that skill to her advantage, but she wasn't as strong as she appeared to be. He blasted a powerful ki ray at her strong enough to send her crashing down again, but this time she didn't get up. Goku flew after her but was once again intercepted, this time by Koola.

"Don't you just hate it when you're interrupted?" the Ice-jin prince asked coolly.

Goku smiled. "You were healed," he stated noticing the lack of injuries he knew Koola to have recently received.

"I'm only returning the favor," Koola responded. "You're not the only ones that carry a bag of tricks as back-up."

Goku smiled being suddenly filled with the thrill of battle. "I guess not," he replied then flew towards Koola to quickly resume their battle where it had last been left off.

~oOo~

Videl gasped as she watched Gohan fly back 50 meters, hit with a particularly hard blow dealt by King Kold. She cradled baby Goten to her tightly, watching in utter tension as her husband recovered and flew back into the battle. He already looked tired enough as it was; the battle with Cell had left him drained, she could tell. Gohan was a strong fighter, with plenty of stamina to spare, but even the Saiyans had limits. Standing with equal tension behind her, Bulma and Dende watched the fight wearily.

"He'll be okay," Bulma said gently, stepping up to Videl and resting a hand on the other woman's shoulder.

Videl nodded, her eyes never leaving the ongoing battle between her husband and the eldest Ice-jin. "I just want this to be over. I want to go home."

Bulma smiled wearily, cradling her baby daughter as she cast a concerned glace at Vegeta, where he was still locked in combat with Freeza. "Don't we all?"

A loud crash rang through the courtyard and this time, they looked to find Krillin on the ground, the floor around him a crater. The women watched, anxiously waiting for him to rise again, but the small man would not move. Krillin's hand moved slightly, as if trying to grab something to brace himself against, in order to stand, but it felt limply against his side almost immediately.

"Do you think he's…"

Videl didn't get to finish her sentence before Bulma was already shaking her head vehemently. "He's just unconscious," Bulma replied, glancing back at King Kold. "But I don't think he'll be going back up there anytime soon."

In the distance, they observed as Piccolo landed a particularly hard punch into King Kold's stomach, making the Ice-jin double over in pain. Not even allowing a second to pass, Gohan was already on top of him, landing a hard strike over Kold's neck that made the purple alien fly down to the ground. Quickly, Gohan powered up an energy ball and sent it flying after Kold, but at the last second, the Ice-jin moved out of the way and flew at Piccolo, which ensued yet another series of fast blows that neither Videl nor Bulma could follow with their eyes.

Videl looked back at Krillin, who hadn't moved from his spot at all. "I'm going to get him out of there," she said with resolve.

"No," Dende told her, shaking his hands as she tried to give him baby Goten. "It's too dangerous out there, you'll get killed."

"We can't just leave him there to die," Videl protested.

"I know how you feel, but these two newborns are our main priority right now. We've done all we can," Bulma said firmly. She glanced down at her baby girl, who had begun fussing again. "There, there. Shhhh, don't worry, it'll be okay." She bounced the girl in her arms, turning her eyes back to look at Gohan's fight.

Kold was stronger than she had realized. The king of the Ice-jin had been standing quietly in the sidelines, letting his sons fight as he watched with keen attention. Bulma had assumed that it had meant he wasn't powerful enough to hold his own in battle. But as she watched him exchange blows with both Piccolo and a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, she was realizing how wrong she had been. Kold was powerful enough in his own right and she could tell that it was taking its toll on Gohan. Bulma thought idly, Maybe he shouldn't have jumped from one battle to another without healing with Dende first….

"No!" she heard Videl cry out from beside her.

Startled, Bulma followed the other woman's line of vision. Gohan was lying on the ground, the floor around him cracked and torn, his forehead bleeding profoundly and his leg twisted in an unnatural angle. Sensing Videl's distress, baby Goten started to wail loudly, causing Bura to start crying once again. Now it was just Piccolo against King Kold. From his extra violent and calculated moves, Bulma could tell that Piccolo's anger was increasing his strength. The combat had become even more heated and the Namekian was not going to go easy on his foe anymore.

Ignoring the fight once more, Videl choked on a sob and quickly handed the baby to an unsuspecting Dende. Before anyone could say anything, she ran out into the open and straight to her wounded husband. When she got to him, she fell to her knees and gently lifted his head.

"Gohan," she called shaking him gently. "Gohan, open your eyes!"

"Videl!" Bulma shrieked from her hiding place. "Get out of there, you'll get yourself killed!"

Videl ignored her, calling to Gohan again. This time, Gohan opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hey," he said weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to move you from here; you're too hurt to go back into battle again."

Gohan shook his head, wincing at the movement. "No, get back now."

Videl ignored him and started to gather him in her arms. She was strong for a human woman and she knew she would be able to move him easily.

She had only just lifted him off the ground when she felt someone grab her by the back of her shirt and was suddenly levitated off the ground and away from her previous spot. "What the—?"

A flash of blinding light covered the spot she and Gohan had just occupied moments before. "Are you alright?" asked a small voice behind her.

She glanced back to find Dende holding her off the ground. With a nervous, but grateful smile at Earth's god, she nodded wearily and told him that she could handle flying herself now. Dende let go of her and together, they flew back to the spot where Bulma was waiting for them with a bawling baby in each arm.

"When I saw that energy blast heading towards you, I thought you were done for!" Bulma exclaimed when her three friends returned.

Videl placed a conscious Gohan on the ground. "Thanks, Dende," the demi-Saiyan said heavily.

"I only did what was necessary," the Namekian replied, embarrassed at the attention.

It was then that Videl glanced back to where Piccolo and King Kold had been fighting, only to find Piccolo levitating back to the ground by himself. The spot that an injured Gohan had previously occupied was now taken up by the dead Ice-jin.

~oOo~

Coran made his way as quickly as he could to the spot where Dalia had fallen. He knew he only had a moment to spare and nothing more. Ailill was finally stabilizing the portal enough to concentrate once again on his surroundings so his absence would not go unnoticed for much longer. Ignoring his own soreness, he sprinted the last several meters to the crater that had formed where Dalia had landed. Once there, he grimaced by what he found. Dalia was unconscious and surrounded by a silver pool of her own blood. He slid down the crater walls then set down the small bundle of what was left of his cape he'd been carrying in order to better inspect her. As he had feared, she didn't have any visible physical wounds other than several scratches. However, her fight with the Son Goku had weakened her enough for the magical wounds she had obtained from Ailill to surface. Now her once pale blue body was covered by a thin film of silver as her skin bled through.

Coran gritted his teeth and cursed Ailill. In this lifetime or the next, he would make sure his brother paid for all the hardships he had cost him.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, then gently cradled Dalia in his arms. Whispering a soft chant, he proceeded on summoning some of his magical reserves in order to restore Dalia to full health. Several seconds later, her breathing normalized and all traces of injury disappeared as the healing process was completed. Coran set Dalia down as a wave of nausea shook him. His vision swam for several seconds making him fear he would black out altogether. The moment passed, but he could feel himself tremble uncontrollably from the strain his body was under. Whereas before he could have performed this spell in a heartbeat, now it was costing him more than he was willing to admit.

"Coran?" He opened his eyes to find Dalia looking up at him, worry written all over her face. "You're completely pale. What have you done?"

Coran smiled at her, partially to buy himself several seconds with which to find his voice again and partially because he was glad to see her well. "It's alright," he responded being mindful that his voice didn't break.

"You're not fooling me," Dalia stated sitting up. "You've reached your limit. You're done."

Coran chuckled softly. "You think so? But that's the thing about magic; it really doesn't have a limit… when you learn to understand it. It simply evolves."

"It may not, but you do," Dalia stated firmly. She was going to say more but then her newly healed senses picked up on the ongoing battles. "King Kold!" she exclaimed jumping to her feet. Before she could go anywhere, Coran grabbed her arm.

"Let it go," he told her.

"What!" she cried out. "You don't expect me to just sit here and-"

"Please…" he interrupted, almost begging her to listen. "There are more important things to worry about now."

Dalia stared at him incredulously. There was no doubt in her mind that something was terribly wrong with Coran. Not only could she sense the physical agony he was in, but a well-disguised desperation as well.

"You must listen to me now and do as I say without question," he said pulling her back down to where he was. The crater walls were high enough to fully hide them from the view of their surroundings. They were safe, for the moment.

"What is going on," she asked making no effort to hide to worry she was feeling. "Why are you acting like this?"

Coran took a deep breath. He was very much aware that what he was about to say would not be easy to hear.

"Do you remember when you said you'd do anything to avenge our masters? Anything to be sure the Saiyans would pay for what they did?" Dalia nodded cautiously so he continued. "It's been done. Already everything has been set into motion; there is nothing more you can do here. You must leave now, on Lord Koola's orders."

Dalia looked completely confused. "What? I cannot leave, they might need-"

"Both Saiyans are out of your league, Dalia and I won't be able to help you after this," Coran cut in. "You must go and do as you are ordered. I will stay behind and see things through."

Dalia stared at him at a loss of words. This didn't make any sense! He had always been so confident, always so sure of everything he said and everything they planned together… Then her eyes widened in realization. "You knew…" she whispered. "You foresaw exactly what was going to happen. You've known all along…"

Coran looked away from her. "I knew," he responded quietly, not making eye contact. "However, I misread portions of it. That is the way my visions work. I foresee images, places, people, events… not always in chronological order and I must then piece it together. I get bits and pieces at different times that I must build into a whole picture. Things happened faster than I thought they might. But regardless of that, the outcome will remain the same. That much was always clear."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," she stated firmly.

"You don't have a choice," Coran replied. "Even if Lord Koola had not ordered it, I cannot go. Your presence will not be missed; your power isn't something they have to fear. In my case, Ailill will know I am gone and the danger it would be that I escape. I am too powerful in ways the Saiyans cannot understand to be allowed to roam free…"

"Wait…" Dalia said concerned. "What are you saying?"

Coran picked up the small bundle his cape was, and gave it to her. "Under all circumstances, you must live. We've worked too hard for this."

Dalia froze as the weight of what he was saying hit home. She suddenly felt incredibly weak as she took to bundle of robes from Coran's outstretched hands and brought it to her chest. All the while she had been shaking her head negatively. "I can't let you…" she stammered. "I can't believe you knew…"

"I'm sorry…" he told her. "I did all I could…"

Dalia nodded, not out of agreement, but because she didn't know what else to do to respond. For the first time in what seemed to be ages, she felt like a small child. She shut her eyes rapidly and turned her face away as she fought down the sudden impulse to cry.

"I can promise you this," Coran continued, he gently turned her head back towards him. "No matter what happens, Heaven, Hell, and all its minions will not be able to hold me for long. I will find my way back to you."

It took moment for Dalia to answer as a million thoughts crossed her mind. She then looked up at him for a time, and in an almost dream-like state stood up. "I will do as I am ordered…" she spoke finally though he could tell her mind wasn't really there when she said it.

"Be safe…" he whispered as he allowed the psychic bond that united them to express all else he would have said. He allowed himself to caress her cheek, taking that last moment to admire her beauty one last time. Dalia stared at him a second longer, then took several steps backwards, robes still clutched to her chest, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Coran looked at the spot she had previously occupied a moment before forcing himself to stand. He looked up at the ongoing Saiyan/Ice-jin battle, then at the whirlpool that had formed in the night sky.

Time was up.

"Let us end it," he whispered as he gathered his strength and power then stepped out onto the battlefield.

~oOo~

Vegeta ducked another punch and moved out of the way as Freeza's knee came up to connect with his gut. He materialized behind the Ice-jin, both hands clasped together high above him and ready to come down over the other creature's shoulders. At the last possible second, Freeza moved out of the way and Saiyan hit empty air. Vegeta scowled in anger and whipped around to fend off yet another kick.

"Why can't you just die already, like the rest of your pathetic monkey race, you damn, dirty ape?" Freeza growled as he missed his kick.

Vegeta landed a punch of the side of Freeza's face, sending him flying back twenty feet before the creature managed to regain his footing.

"Why can't you just die and stay the fuck dead already?" shot back Vegeta as he hovered in place waiting for Freeza to attack again. He was eyeing the portal that was steadily growing larger behind the Ice-jin. Now all he had to do was get Freeza and Koola through it again. That part might not prove quite so simple. He wasn't sure what would happen to him or Goku if either of them ended up going through the portal instead, but he quickly decided he wasn't about to find out. His mind was fully focused on the battle at hand, determined to avoid any distraction.

Vegeta had always lived for the thrill of battle and the demonstration of strength. This was what he had dreamed of his entire life, for as long as he had known Freeza. Last time they had fought, Freeza had easily outmatched him. This time, the two were on equal ground and Vegeta knew he had a real chance. And yet, for the second time in his entire life, he didn't find himself thinking about the power and glory that would come with defeating his foe. Instead, his mind kept wandering to the blue-haired woman who had wormed herself into his cold heart and their child—no, children—whose safety depended on this very moment. As much as he craved this battle, this revenge, a part of him couldn't wait to get it over with so that he could finally get to go home and enjoy his family again.

Home. Yes, Earth was his home.

With that thought vaguely in the back of his mind, Vegeta summoned every last bit of strength from within and landed a right kick on Freeza's chest, hitting him square in the center. He heard a satisfying crack as something, most likely a bone, from Freeza's anatomy snapped. With a cry of pain, the Glai'keel-sei prince once again flew back, this time heading dangerously close to the ever growing vortex. Vegeta lunged at Freeza quickly, aiming to hit him again with his shoulder in the same spot he had heard crack just seconds before. In just a few moments, Vegeta could push him far enough to get him inside…

At the last possible second, Freeza ducked Vegeta's assault. Vegeta's eyes went wide and he forced himself to stop his flight abruptly to avoid the portal himself. Not wanting to risk getting thrown in himself, he immediately dropped altitude and headed in the opposite direction.

Damnit. This is going to be harder than I thought.

He was already breathing heavily. The fight was taking its toll on him, despite Dende's previous healing. Freeza's barrage of attacks did not cease, but they were getting slower, and Vegeta could tell that his enemy was growing tired as well. He sidestepped a clumsy energy ball thrown by Freeza and flew out of the way.

"What's the matter, Freeza?" Vegeta taunted. "Getting slow in your old age?"

With a flash of renewed vigor, Freeza flew at him again, but they were too evenly matched. The fight had gone on long enough and neither party had been able to overpower the other.

"Do you think you can fool me that easily, my little monkey prince?"

Freeza was suddenly hovering in front of him, blocking his path with a self-satisfied smile on his porcelain face. It made Vegeta want to rip his mouth off.

"I fooled you for years, making you think I was your loyal servant," Vegeta replied. "Does it drive you crazy to know that while you were in hell, I reclaimed my own life back? That I became more powerful than you? That I produced more Saiyan heirs while you thought you had made our race extinct?"

Freeza threw his head back and laughed that infuriatingly sweet laugh. "The only fool here is you, Vegeta, if you think you will ever be free of my influence. You are who you are today, because I made you so. You are mine, little prince, and you will be mine until the day you die again."

The words hit Vegeta harder than he would have thought they would. The Ice-jin had just given voice to all the fears that had haunted him since the day he had come back to life for the first time on Namek. No matter how often he pushed them back, they always seemed to resurface in the nightmares that had often plagued his sleep, even now, decades after he had broken free from servitude, and in the waking hours when he had nothing to do but reflect. He had managed to rebuild his life, form a family, adopt a new place to call home, save the universe from complete and utter destruction—and yet still, to this day, he had never really managed to fully rid himself of Freeza's influence. It was maddening to realize that the creature knew that so well.

He gritted his teeth in anger. No, he refused to let it get to him this time. These thoughts were distracting and Freeza was counting on that to win. Vegeta had bigger priorities than his own personal demons; his family—the only people he actually gave a damn about—literally depended on him for survival right now. The thoughts and insecurities were quickly pushed back into a compartment in his mind reserved for it, which usually manifested itself only in his sleep, and he twisted his mouth into a smirk.

"Or perhaps until the day you die again," he retorted. "Once and for all."

Freeza spread his arms invitingly. "Do your worst, monkey. I'm still waiting…"

"You're such a coward," Vegeta continued. "Your fight was with me, not my family."

Freeza laughed again. "Look at you, my little simian prince. All concerned about your little family now? You're pathetic, just like you always were! Your little hybrid brat can take care of himself well enough. After all, he managed to do what you couldn't do the first time around… kill me."

Vegeta tossed another energy ball at Freeza, catching him square in the chest and tossing him back several meters. "Don't worry, that particular bit is about to be remedied now."

Again, Freeza chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest and gazing at the Saiyan prince smugly. Just meters behind him, the portal was now bigger than the Ice-jin. Just a little bit… thought Vegeta.

"Freeza!" Koola's alarmed voice rang out from behind Vegeta again, on the other side of the courtyard. Before he could say anything else, Goku was on him once again.

"You know what your problem was, Lord Freeza?" Vegeta said conversationally. "You always were too sure of yourself."

With that, he quickly tossed another energy ball at the Ice-jin prince. This time, Freeza moved out of the way, managing to whirl around on his side using quick reflexes. It was then that he noticed his close proximity to the portal. Startled, he tried to move out of the way, but Vegeta didn't give him the opportunity. He took advantage of Freeza's surprise and tossed a hard energy ball in his direction. This time, it caught him on the shoulder, tossing him backwards against the portal. Vegeta wasted no time.

"I'll see you in hell!" he cried. "BIG BANG ATTACK!" With that, he began to pummel Freeza with a series of quick, strong energy balls. In a matter of seconds, Freeza disappeared into the portal, swallowed whole and never to be seen again.

Vegeta froze staring at the spot Freeza had disappeared into and allowed the event to sink in. Finally, after a lifetime of nightmares, he was finally free. The one responsible for all his pains had finally been made to pay and it had been he who had delivered the punishment.

He was not allowed to dwell in his victory for long when Goku called out his name urgently. He turned towards the other Saiyan but was met by a hard blow that sent him crashing into the ground. Vegeta grunted in pain as he picked himself up. Several meters above him, Koola was looking down at him, death written all over his face.

The Saiyan prince chuckled as he stood up. "A little upset, aren't we?" he tossed back at the Ice-jin. Koola seemed barely able to control his rage as his lips curled into a cruel smile.

"You will pay for this…" he seethed.

Vegeta laughed, but before he could formulate a response, Goku had arrived and stopped several meters from the Ice-jin prince. Koola looked back at Goku and smiled. Instead of attacking, he turned his body sideways and seemed to be gathering something out of the air. Goku froze as he vaguely recognized Koola's strange antics. Slowly it all came together. In horror, he realized that the strange kata-like steps he was performing were actually an attack. He had witnessed that attacked performed once before and the only reason he had survived it was because he had already been dead.

The Tournament in Heaven…

"Paikuhan…" he uttered as it all pieced together.

He realized all of this too late. Before he could move, Koola had finished summoning the attack and had blasted a curtain of fire in his direction. There was no escape as he was quickly wrapped into Paikuhan's ultimate attack powered three times over and sent slamming into the ground. Shortly afterwards, everything went dark.

Vegeta watched as Goku disappeared into the shower of fire then crash into the ground not to get up again. Clumsy… Vegeta thought as he looked back up at Koola whose attention had returned to him once again. The Saiyan powered up and flew up to meet his new opponent in midair. The Ice-jin studied him for several seconds making no effort to move or attack.

"Prepared to meet up with your dear little brat of a brother?" Vegeta shot at him as Koola's sudden eerie calmness began irritate him.

The Ice-jin prince chuckled in response. "Vegeta…" he started, his voice dangerously low. "Let me introduce you to what pain is all about."

Before Vegeta could respond, Koola powered up, his ki gathering all around him. Several seconds later, Vegeta sensed a dramatic spike in the Ice-jin's ki and looked on as his body transformed one last time. The Saiyan hissed in anger as he witnessed for the first time the next level of Ice-jin power. Koola seemed to triple in size as his body armor and physical frame increased several times over. Even his carapace morphed into a helmet-like horned frill that allowed only the two red slits of his eyes as a visible feature on his face.

Once the transformation was over, Koola didn't allow Vegeta a moment more to take in the changes choosing instead to barrage him with a series of brutal attacks. Vegeta could not find a way to defend himself as Koola's higher form seem to come at him from all sides at once. Several minutes later, the carnage was momentarily over as Koola allowed Vegeta to crash land on the ground after a particularly powerful energy blast.

Vegeta managed to rise to his knees as he gasped for breath. In a few brief minutes, Koola had wounded him to the same extent that his fusion had earlier, and he had not been able to attack him once. He swore and powered up again refusing to give in without a fight, but before he could stand, he was forced face down into the cold ground as the Ice-jin prince buried a clawed foot into his back. Vegeta held back the sudden urge to cry out in pain as he felt the ground crack and crumble beneath him under the pressure of Koola crushing him into the earth.

Relief came briefly as Koola stepped back and picked him up by his neck bringing Vegeta up to meet his eyes.

"Are you willing to beg for death now, or should I continue?" Koola spoke increasing his hold on Vegeta's neck allowing just enough air to pass into his lungs to keep him alive.

Too weak to try to free himself from Koola's iron grip, Vegeta simply laughed. "I will not… give you that pleasure," he managed. "Face it. Your brother and father are dead… There's nothing you can do to bring them back. You will never be able to take that away from me!"

For a moment, Vegeta thought Koola would simply snap his neck and be over with it, but to his surprise, the Ice-jin simply chuckled.

"Maybe," Koola responded. "But I can take away from you just about everything else." Vegeta stared at the Ice-jin in confusion as Koola continued. "You will die, monkey, and then I will exterminate your family. I will torture them until they beg for death and curse the day you were born. Then I will rip them to shreds and spread their remains to the four corners of my kingdom. I will be sure anyone who ever looked upon you meets the same, horrific end." He paused for a fraction of a second. Just long enough for Vegeta to feel himself go cold with dread.

"Yes, you will die Vegeta," the Ice-jin prince continued. "But so will they. What I've done to you will look like child's play compared to the fate that awaits them."

Vegeta's eyes widened in panic, but before he could respond, the Ice-jin punched his midriff tearing through his skin and bone with his fist and emerging on his back side.

"Don't worry," Koola told him as he pulled his arm out of his body and released him causing him to crumble onto his knees. "I will be sure to tell the how the proud Prince of the Saiyans died: on his knees before his King." The now Ice-jin King picked him up again after several seconds.

"Give my regards to King Enma," he said finally before tossing Vegeta into the air and firing a ki blast that incinerated his body to ashes. With Vegeta dead, Koola didn't waste a second before powering up and taking off to fulfill his oath.

~oOo~

Exhausted from the ordeal, but still exhilarated from his victory, Ailill allowed himself to slump onto the ground. He smiled to himself as he looked up and saw the portal he had created strengthen and grow. Granted, he knew it was not as impressive as the one that had been originally created by him and his brother, but it was more than he could have hoped for under the circumstances. He had done his part, now it was up to the warriors of Earth to do theirs.

"Congratulations."

Suddenly aware of the familiar presence, Ailill turned in the direction of the voice and stood. Just a few meters away, his twin brother stood looking up at the portal that had been created from their power.

"You've managed to stabilize it and divide your attention," he continued casually. "I'm impressed."

Ailill stared at him momentarily not sure how to respond. This was the first time in ages that his brother was addressing him directly. Coran looked calm, more than he had the right to be all things considered. He also seemed to have recuperated from his previous ordeals. His twin brother looked at the portal for another few seconds before turning towards him.

"What made you think I wouldn't," said Ailill finally.

Coran shrugged. "The magic that it calls upon isn't exactly entirely benign. You've never had the stomach for this sort of thing before. I suppose I didn't think you had it in you. Then again, you've always been able to catch up quick."

Ailill glared at his brother, but he knew Coran was right. Of the two of them, Coran had always been the most talented, and the most ambitious. Once a long time ago, he had been there to compliment and help him where his skill had momentarily lacked. Ailill's glare softened as he looked at the younger twin. It had not always been like this… They had not always been enemies. Coran looked away from him and Ailill instinctively followed his gaze. What he found made him take an involuntary step backwards. Somehow, their surroundings had completely changed. No longer were they at the Ice-jin planet, instead he could recognize the inside of the temple he had grown up in on his home world. He looked back at Coran wondering if he could see the same thing, but from his expression, Ailill couldn't really tell. His eyes seemed frozen at some point in the vision, but he couldn't tell if he perceived where he was.

Ailill heard someone murmur to his right and turned towards the source of the sound. He felt his heart break by what he found. There, just several feet away, twin children were kneeling one in front of the other, their attention concentrated on the group of crystals spheres before them.

That had been them...

Once upon a time when they had been innocent and young…

Ailill looked on as slowly, one by one all the glass spheres began to levitate and circle around the pair of children.

"You did it!" young Coran cried out happily.

Child Ailill opened his eyes and began to laugh as he found the glass balls orbiting around them. "It did it…" he whispered. "I did it!"

They were quickly surrounded by their mentors and aids who congratulated the eldest twin at his most recent achievement. Several minutes later, they were alone again, the glass spheres resting on the floor.

"Coran?" Ailill said to his brother who was picking up the orbs and returning them to their case. "Wasn't that cheating? I mean, did I really do it?"

"Of course you did," responded Coran. "The balls flew, didn't they?"

"Yes. But you helped me," Ailill retorted.

Coran finished putting the balls away before he turned towards his older brother. "So? That's what we're here for, isn't it? That's why we're learning this together, so we can help each other, right?"

"Yes…" Ailill replied dubiously. "But wasn't I supposed to do that on my own?"

Child Coran rolled his eyes and grinned mischievously. "You worry too much, silly, did you know that? We are in this together. We were chosen to train together because we need each other. So what if I helped you now? Later on, when I need help with something and you're better, you'll help me." He tucked the chest the spheres under one arm and extended his free hand to help his sibling up.

Young Ailill smiled and took his hand. "That will be the day," he said rising to his feet. "But yes, if that time ever comes. I'll do what I can to help."

"You know I will have to close it, right?"

The vision ended as abruptly as it had begun as Coran's words made Ailill focus once again on the present. Ailill looked at his brother and narrowed his eyes. Had he experienced the vision as well? If so, Coran gave no signs of being affected by it or even having witnessed what he had just seen. He seemed so cold and distant. Once, he had been able to second guess his brother's every emotion, every feeling before the other had been fully aware of them. Now… This person before him was completely unknown.

Ailill shook his head. "I can't let you do that," he spoke finally. He felt himself grow cold as he understood the full meaning of what he had just said. Yet it had to be done. He had to undo the horrors that had come from his folly.

Coran nodded. "So be it," he spoke softly.

Ailill braced himself as in a matter of several seconds, his brother summoned the fullness of his magical ki. Coran was engulfed by a curtain of fire that at first burned a dark red, then changed the spectrum of colors until it became a deep blue. Ailill recognized Coran powering up to a maximum and didn't waste another instant to power up as well, having no desire to experience the full wrath of his brother's magic unprotected by his own.

Coran's first spell was fierce. His voice echoed throughout their surroundings as his magical aura began to spin around him rapidly.

Ailill quickly began chanting a counter spell to shield himself from the gargantuan flaming bird that had detached itself from his brother's ki and was now on his way to ram into him. He shut his eyes and braced himself at the impact and felt as a thousand flaming arrows tried to break his defenses.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, my Lord. They carry no weapons with them."

Ailill looked up and found himself elsewhere, once again. This time he was in the palace of Konack-sei.

Another vision.

Before him were the deceased King of his world, some advisors, and both his brother and he now decades older than in his previous vision.

"My Lord," Coran spoke up. "When it comes to people like these, they are the weapons themselves. Their flagship may be in orbit, the Ice-jin General that identified himself earlier did stay behind, and they may seem helpless enough, but I can assure you, they are not all Ambassadors."

"How many are they?" Ailill asked.

"Just three," one of the aids replied. "Two males and a female. Lady Dalia identified herself as the Ambassador and her companions as her escort: Lord Zarbon and Lord Sauza. "

The Konack-jin king considered this several seconds before responding. "Ask her to please leave her escort behind. I will take no chances with this."

Ailill saw the aid take a quick bow and leave the throne room.

"I knew this would happen sooner or later," the young King said. "Too many worlds have fallen into their control."

"At least they've proceeded diplomatically with us and not invaded straight out as has been the case for several systems," Ailill pointed out.

"We will do all we can to protect you, my Lord," Coran added. "Have no doubt of that."

They waited for a few minutes, and then the aid returned with an escort of palace guards, Dalia following. She had been a sight to behold. On their first meeting she had looked unnaturally beautiful, her behavior, speech and etiquette in complete concordance with the situation and the role she had been playing. Little had they known at the time that she was the most dangerous weapon the Ice-jin had to offer. Beneath the façade of innocence and sugarcoated words was a cold-blooded assassin and an expert infiltrator. They had all been too easily deceived.

"Do you believe what she proposed, your Majesty?" Ailill said after the Dalia had left and they had been left alone in the throne room.

"An alliance between us and them?" the King responded dubiously. "I'm not sure. What do we have to offer? Unlike the Saiyan king of Vegeta-sei, our people are not mercenaries for hire. We are an old race, but not what would be called 'warriors' by anyone's standards. It is in your Order our strength lies, but few know about this. What could the Ice-jin possibly want with that?"

"I'm not sure I'd trust the Glai'keel-jin into any sort of alliance knowing what they are capable of," said Coran. "We need to know more about their intentions."

The Konack-jin king nodded looking thoughtful. "We said we'd meet again during the evening meal. I'd like the two of you to be present then as well. Until that time, we have a lot to think about." The twins nodded then took a quick bow as their King exited the room.

"You liked her," Ailill told Coran once they found themselves alone in the throne room. Their psychic bond was strong enough for most of their conversation to occur silently making it impossible to be over heard.

"Yes, so did you," his twin responded.

"True, but you are better at foreign negotiations than I am," Ailill pointed out. "Last time I nearly caused and interplanetary incident, remember?" They were both now walking out of the throne room away from the Ailill of the present.

"She was married," Coran said with a sly smile. "You were the only one in the room that missed the fact that the Ambassador was her husband. I think they took it easy on you."

"Don't remind me," he answered with a shudder. "But, that's just my point," he continued. "Go to her. Find out what it is the Ice-jin really want with us. I'll feel better about a decision once we find out all we can about this strange proposal of Lady Dalia's. We-"

The second attack came, shattering the vision and knocking Ailill from his feet.

"Damn…" he muttered mentally cursing himself for allowing himself to have become so distracted, this time of past events to take care his present. He looked at his brother and saw that his silhouette looked blurry behind the wall of his ki, the only part that was clear was his eyes as they glowed a bright white that clashed with the blue of his surroundings.

"I will not allow this nightmare to continue!" he told himself rising to his feet in determination. Though he hated what he had to do, the past was gone. Now he had to protect the future of a million lives by defeating someone he had once loved dearly. "So be it!" he muttered as he reached deep into himself for the power needed to conjure his own magic. Focusing all the power of the spell he was mustering on his twin brother, he allowed it to flow from him.

~oOo~

"This…REALLY… Sucks!"

Trunks battered the sides of his magical prison in vain. To say that he was tired of being bested by Coran's same spell over and over again would have been the understatement of the century. Furious and powered up to his maximum, he vented his frustrations on the magical cube. Suddenly, it melted away and his punch went wide as his constraint disappeared. Startled, Trunks looked at his immediate surroundings not understanding what had just happened.

"I guess he's losing power…" he mused once it sank in he was free. He looked in Coran's general direction and grimaced by what he found. "Or… maybe not…"

"Trunks!"

Trunks spun in the direction of the voice to find Gohan flying towards him.

"Run!"

Not understanding why at first, but trusting his older friend, Trunks moved out of the way milliseconds before Koola imposing form crushed the space he had previously occupied.

"Oh shit!" Trunks exclaimed suddenly realizing the danger he was in and flying away as quickly as he could. Koola didn't waste a second in blasting after him and would have caught up had Gohan not intercepted him before he could. Trunks risked a backwards glance to see Koola swat Gohan away with the same ease any normal human would a fly or other small insect.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…" he cursed while frantically looking around for his father or Goku and not finding them.

"Trunks! Over here!"

This time it was Piccolo calling out to him. The young demi-Saiyan wasted no time in changing his course to meet up with him.

"What's going on?" he asked upon arrival.

Piccolo was floating in the air, his arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression on his face. There was hesitation surrounding his form, as if he had something to say but didn't want to, or know how to say it. Trunks frowned in irritation.

"Piccolo," he said. "Where's my dad? He was fighting Freeza a little while ago, I saw him."

"Freeza's gone," Piccolo stated carefully. "Vegeta got him through the portal."

Trunks' face broke out into a huge grin. "I knew he'd do it!" Piccolo's serious expression still didn't change and Trunks' smiled faltered. His eyes narrowed in an unconscious imitation of his father's own glare. "Piccolo, spit it out. Where's my dad?"

More hesitation. Then, "Koola killed him."

Piccolo had never been one to beat around the bush. The words reached Trunks' ears immediately, but the meaning took a few seconds to sink in. A sudden sense of déjà vu settled over him and he remembered another time, just a few years before, when he had been delivered similar news. His father was dead again. His body felt abruptly cold, a sense of rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach and threatening to spill from his throat like bile. Piccolo was still standing in front of him, but the image was distorted now through Trunks' unfocused glare.

"Trunks?"

It was Piccolo's voice again. Trunks ignored him and instead turned his back to the Namekian, scanning the horizon with his sharp senses in an attempt to spot the creature responsible for his father's demise. The rage was still bubbling within, fueling his hatred, making the adrenaline pump wildly through his veins. He was thriving on the feeling, the sense of clarity he was finally having. Only one thought was in his mind now: revenge. Koola would pay for what he did.

There he was. Gohan, already weak from his own previous fights, was barely holding his own against gigantic the Ice-jin. Koola seemed amused by the fight, as if it was merely a fun warm up exercise in preparation for a more serious event to follow. Trunks watched calmly as Koola landed a hard upper-cut to Gohan's chin, making the Saiyan fly back against a rocky hill and then slump to the ground. Gohan's head moved slightly as he groaned and tried to pull himself up unsuccessfully. Trunks' eyes zeroed in on Koola, his face an icy visage of hatred. Knowing Gohan would not be getting up again for a while, the Ice-jin then turned his gaze towards the lavender haired demi-Sayain. Trunks' sensitive ears picked up a distant voice calling his name, this time sounding vaguely like his mother's, but he ignored it, focusing instead on his enemy. Koola's eyes met his and the Glai'keel-sei prince curved his lips in a twisted imitation of a smile.

Without a single word, Trunks threw his head back and let out a howling scream. His aura ignited in an instant as a bright flash of blue and yellow swirled around him savagely. The smug look on Koola's face changed to one of surprise as the young boy charged him in full Super Saiyan form. He hardly had time to react before Trunks was on him in a rage, throwing flurry after flurry of punches and kicks. Koola was instantly on the defensive, parrying one attack before the next one came without a single chance to being his own assault. But the element of surprise didn't last very long. Within a few minutes, Koola had gathered his bearings and was using some of his own attacks. The calm ire that had previously taken over Trunks was gone, replaced with a desperate need to gain the upper hand and take his revenge. Koola was using that to his advantage.

Trunks had managed to bring Koola closer to the swirling vortex that was the portal to hell, but it was not close enough still.

"I imagine your father will have a lovely time seeing you in hell soon," Koola commented, a hint of glee in his voice.

Trunks didn't respond. Instead, he ducked a punch and reached down to grab a hold of Koola's ankle with the intent of swinging him towards the portal. He was still holding on, pulling Koola back towards him for leverage, when the Ice-jin giantbrought his other foot down crashing on the side of Trunks' waist, making him promptly let go with a cry of pain. Koola dove at him, slamming an arm across the boy's midriff causing the latter to slam back towards the ground. The demi-Saiyan hit the hard rock with a crash, leaving a Trunks-sized dent on the ground where his body landed. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear his mother's voice again calling out to him in alarm. He held up a two finger peace sign in that general direction as he lifted his arms to pull himself up. Koola was already gathering a finishing attack when Trunks felt himself get swooped up in a flash and moved out of the way. The powerful flash of ki hit the spot where Trunks had just been.

"Maybe you should pick on someone your own size," a new voice sounded from above him when they stopped moving. Trunks turned his head sharply in surprise. Holding him as they hovered just a few feet in the air was Son Goku. The Saiyan's powerful aura glowed brightly around him, pulsating rapidly with agitation. His now golden hair was extended past his waist in long thick strands and his narrowed eyes were settled intently on Koola. Trunks couldn't remember the last time he had seen the older Saiyan look so serious.

"Goku!" the demi-Saiyan called out. "He ki—" The words caught in his throat and he found he couldn't repeat what Piccolo had told him about Vegeta. The rage was entirely gone now, replaced with a vast feeling of emptiness. Would he even see his father ever again this time? Was this the end of Vegeta?

Goku seemed to understand regardless. Without taking his eyes from Koola, he responded, "I know. It'll be okay."

His words offered little in the way of comfort, but Trunks appreciated the gesture. Goku set him down on the ground again and levitated higher to come face to face with the remaining member of the Ice-jin royal family.

"What a treat," Koola said. "Today I get to kill three…" He paused and glanced at the spot where Gohan still lay on the ground unmoving. "… make that four monkeys with one stone. So to speak."

Goku was now holding up his arms in his customary defensive stance, prepared to counter any attack Koola might have up his sleeve. The Ice-jin's arms were hanging loosely at his side, a small ki ball forming slowly over his right palm. Goku was eyeing it warily as he tried to determine what Koola was planning to do with it. The prince lifted the hand slowly and without any warning, tossed a disarming ki blast with his left hand instead. Goku felt, rather than saw, the beam coming and dodged out of its way easily. The ki ball on Koola's right hand followed closely behind as Goku managed to duck out of its way as well. In front of him, the Saiyan could see the giant swirling portal just waiting for the next inhabitant of hell to cross. Realizing that Koola was baiting him closer to it, he immediately changed course and turned back toward the creature.

Goku reached him quickly, his fist held above his shoulder as if prepared to land it on Koola as soon as he reached him. But Koola knew better. No competent warrior ever attacked a foe with his next move clearly displayed in advance. The Ice-jin's body was tensed, eyeing the full blooded Saiyan warily as he got closer, trying to determine from his subtle body language which way he was going to attack. At the last second, he dodged right as Goku's leg shot out to kick Koola. Unfazed, Goku interlocked the fingers from both hands together to form a single fist, brought it over his head and down on Koola's back. It connected, causing the Ice-jin to fall towards the portal at high speed. He caught himself before he could come too close and turned back around in an instant.

Not hesitating, Goku summoned the full extent of his ki with a loud roar. Koola's eyes widened in shock at the awesome display of power as he momentarily forgot just how close he had gotten to the portal. As the transformation finished, Goku didn't hesitate and lunged at Koola. To the untrained naked eye, it would have looked like the Saiyan had disappeared from his previous spot and rematerialized in front of the Glai'keel-sei prince. Before Koola could react, Goku had summoned a ki blast and aimed it at his chest. Koola's face twisted in outrage and he attempted to dodge, but the blast managed to hit his left shoulder. The Ice-jin cried out in pain and reached up with his right hand to cradle the injured spot.

"This is it, Koola," Goku called out. "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."

Before Koola could respond Goku pumped his fist in the air. "DRAGON FIRE!" he yelled.

Within seconds, a whirl of pure power surged from the raised fist. The yellow energy immediately transformed into a golden dragon, long and thin, a pair of long whiskers and fearsome look decorating its face. The dragon swirled around, spinning in the air as it shot straight forward. It was all Koola could do contain his shock as the dragon headed directly toward him. He didn't have time to shake himself out of his stupor as the creature pummeled straight through the Glai'kil-sei prince's stomach. The brunt of the attack was enough to push him into the portal's gravity pull. He kicked his feet and swished his thick tail in the air as he struggled against the dragon's inertia and the portal's pull.

It was done.

~oOo~

Ailill blasted away the icy daggers that had attempted to embed themselves into his skin. The projectiles exploded with the force of his attack, falling around him like a fine, powdery snow. For a moment, everything was still around him as he ignored the rest of the world and focused on his brother.

Coran was a display of pure energy.

He could barely distinguish his twin's figure within the storm of his ki as he levitated above the ground. Coran was an otherworldly spectacle. Only his eyes were easily distinguished, they glowed in a bright shade of white. His aura seemed to have taken a life of its own, twirling violently around him like some giant, out of control monster with tentacles flailing around clutching at the air. It almost looked like his sibling was trapped in the belly of a great beast that was seeking to devour everything within reach.

Ailill took a deep breath attempting to calm himself. Coran was unrelenting to the point of his own destruction. He was determined to shut the portal down at all cost, even if he had to sacrifice his life in the process. The tenacity and aggressiveness of his attacks was almost overwhelming. Electricity cackled and shrieked around him as the dark mage gathered his strength once again to attack. Ailill knew he didn't have much time. Coran was determined to take them both down in the process to ensure his Master's victory.

If Coran succeeded, Koola would remain in this world… His reign of terror would continue… all would be lost…

Desperately, Ailill looked around for a solution. It was then that he noticed Trunk's sword laying several meters away where Videl had dropped it as she had fled the altar area what seemed like lifetimes earlier. That sword had not always been Trunk's… In a fraction of a second, he was reminded of the significance the heirloom had to his people. Thousands of years of traditions flashed into his mind. Theirs was the duty and honor to mediate between this world and the next. Theirs was the burden... His was the responsibility to set things right.

He would not let himself fail, not again.

This sword has been forged with a purpose… Ailill clenched his jaw, snapping back to attention. He made a mad dash for the ancient relic, narrowly avoiding the shower of serpentine lightning that swarmed the spot he had just stood on, blasting away a chunk of the planet's surface. He picked up the weapon.

It reacted to him.

Ailill gasped as he felt a mild electric current surge through his body. He couldn't explain it, but somehow he knew the sword was aware of his intentions. He looked back at Coran. His brother had not physically moved, but the energy tendrils of his ki had shifted, following his whereabouts. It wrapped around him like a suit of armor, protecting its host as it charged up for another attack. Aillil clutched the sword tightly as yet another wave of electric fire surged at him. The ancient sword began to glow as if sensing the impending danger. He held it up in front of him defensively and prepared himself for what he knew would be a brutal attack.

He was gone again.

This time, he found himself in a dimly lit room. The only illumination was provided by half a dozen candles in various locations. He quickly recognized the place: he was standing inside what had once been his brother's bedroom chambers on their home planet of Konack-sei. It didn't take long for him to find his twin. Coran was lying in bed, playing idly with Dalia's long, silky hair. The Princess of Zainu was leaning her head against his brother's chest. From his vantage point, Ailill couldn't really tell if she was asleep or awake. He felt himself flush with anger. He had known of his younger brother's infatuation with the alien Princess, but it angered him to be reminded this was the reason for their initial severance.

Coran had once confided everything in him and this had been the one exception. As expected for such a high level spy, Dalia looked delicate, frail, beautiful… Their most lethal weapon indeed, Ailill thought bitterly. How easily we were played. The intimacy of the moment infuriated him. Why had his brother kept this from him? They had always shared everything… consulted everything. Why did this change? Did Coran think he would not approve? Ailill considered the thought. Of course he wouldn't have! He had always worried that this is what would happen. They had no way of telling if anything she had said was true. The Ice-jin could not be trusted. It was a lesson history had learned for them.

"I know you don't want to talk about this," Dalia spoke up suddenly into his thoughts. Apparently she was awake after all. Looking up at Coran, she continued. "But it's been almost a year. I need to provide Lord Koola with an answer."

Coran looked away clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. Dalia looked at him for several seconds before gently turning his head back towards her.

"I will not be able to stall forever," she continued. "They believe I have spent enough time on this planet. They are growing ever impatient…"

"That's just the problem," Coran said sitting up and pulling away from her. "This all feels like a threat. This takes time. How can I convince my people otherwise if the Ice-jin can't wait…"

Ailill took a step forwards, trying to better make out their expressions. Dalia looked concerned. She sat up next to Coran and leaned against his bare back. She wrapped her arms around his torso and placed her chin on his shoulder, pulling herself closer to him. They sat for several minutes in silence.

Ailill looked away annoyed. He wondered as to the origin of the visions. Why was he seeing them? Why those particular moments? Why then? Clearly, he had not been present for this particular event in his brother's past, so why was he being a witness to it now?

"This is not going to work," his brother spoke into his thoughts finally. "Ailill and the King will not easily sway in their decision. Pressure from your leaders will not change their mind. They believe joining the Ice-jin is too risky. We have too much to lose. They are known to be fickle and that an alliance with them would eventually lead my people to submission under their rule." He sighed and lay back down. "At least that is what my brother believes... That is what everyone here secretly believes."

With good reason! Ailill wanted to shout out. Can't you see what she is doing? What this has cost us… The words died in his throat. The vision went on, oblivious to his presence. Dalia waited for a moment before joining his brother lying back down and cradling her head in the nook of his neck and shoulder.

"Come with me…"

"What?"

Coran sat up again and stared at her as if not believing he had heard her correctly. Dalia rose up to lean on her elbow, but did not look at him directly choosing instead to look down.

"I will not be allowed to return," she told him. Ailill could hear sadness in her voice, but was unwilling to believe it was genuine. "Once your government rejects my Masters' offer, I will be called back-"

"I can't leave," Coran interrupted. "You know that. These are my people, my world… I can't abandon them… Not even…" He didn't finish. Because of the poor lighting, Ailill couldn't make out either of their expressions, but he could almost feel the sudden tension between them.

"Of course not," Dalia said finally. "I just thought… I don't know, if you could come and meet with them yourself… If you could show your people that their intensions are honorable… Perhaps then, maybe your brother would listen. I know that if you could convince him, the High Priest, the King and his advisers would follow."

Ailill could tell that Coran was considering her words.

Don't! he screamed in his head… but no one could hear him. He was alone, lost inside a vision of the past he could never change.

Before he could hear his brother's answer, the vision ended. Ailill was in battle once again. He barely had enough time to acknowledge his surroundings before his twin's attack slammed into him. This time, however, the sword took the blunt of the attack spell. Ailill watched, almost in disbelief, as the ancient weapon somehow not only blocked Coran's attack, but absorbed it. He began to shake under the strain of holding it. Somehow, the blade was taking his twin brother's attack and transforming it into energy that it was inexplicably feeding to him. The spell finished and he felt completely exhilarated: his senses sharpened and he felt his strength return to him. He looked down at the sword, then back up at his brother.

Finally, he understood: Coran was dying. Somehow, perhaps because it took the joining of both their energies to open the portal or maybe because one of them was close to death, their psychic bond had been partially reconnected. Tapion's sword was now acting like a catalyst, doing what it had been designed for: keep balance between the powers that ruled their world.

Now he knew what he had to do.

Ailill whispered a spell and circled himself with his ki. It felt warm and oddly comforting as it blew his hair away from his face. With a second spell, he charged the sword. Coran summoned another attack, releasing another surge of hellish force in his direction. Once again, his sword absorbed the attack and injected its energy into him. Ailill took a deep breath, allowing himself a few moments to assimilate this new power. It felt natural to him, like something he had lost long ago and had now found. He closed his eyes.

In a fraction of a second, he charged at Coran. The sacred sword ripped through all of the other mage's defenses as he sank the blade deep into his brother's chest. Coran collapsed into his arms as the sword began to drain him. Their auras violently combined as Tapion's sword transferred Coran's essence to him. They were both quickly enveloped in a maelstrom of light and energy.

Forgive me… Ailill thought. It tore him apart to see his once beloved brother in agony. For years he had felt that he was partially to blame for him leaving. He had always wondered if perhaps there had been anything he could have done to save their relationship, if it had not just been the Ice-jin that had destroyed what they had once shared. To his surprise, Coran looked up at him, making eye contact.

Is that what you really want? He could hear his brother's voice inside his head over the roar of their kis. Ailill was taken aback by the sheer hatred he felt seeping from his twin. I thought you have always wanted to destroy what you could not control, Coran continued. You disposed of me when I no longer was your puppet, when my power was no longer yours to manipulate.

That is not true! Ailill exclaimed. We were a team! We were meant to serve together.

As long as I remained in your shadow, Coran retorted. As long as you decided what was best for us. The instant I did not do as you pleased you tried to kill me, but it did not work. What makes you think that I would not hate you?

Ailill could feel his brother's life force weaken. Coran held his gaze every second of it.

Be careful, Coran finished. Taking what is not rightfully yours can have dire consequences you could not even imagine…

Ailill did not know how to respond. Coran was slipping quickly and was soon no longer able to answer. All he could clearly decipher was his twin brother's deep seeded hatred towards him. Eventually, this also began to melt away. What was left was the images that were flashing into his twin brother's mind, a trail of memories he could see as visions.

"Kill him."

The familiar Ice-jin voice brought forth the final vision

"I beg you, my Lord," Dalia's voice echoed in his mind. "Give me some time. I swear he will be ready."

Dalia's face was inches from the floor where she was bowing on her knees. Before her was Freeza, looking not at her, but to the far corner of the room. There Ailill saw Coran. His brother was on the floor grasping his head with both hands and writhing as if in great pain. He was covered in bruises and scratches, his clothing was blood stained and torn. Ailill quickly recognized that all of that had been self-inflicted. His appearance was absolutely mad as he convulsed on the ground mumbling to himself.

I did this… he realized suddenly.

"Sweet Dalia," Freeza spoke, lifting Dalia's face from the floor with the tip of his tail so that she was looking up at him. "I find your compassion for the creature adorable, but really, you have wasted enough time on this. I have need of you. Dispose of it and meet me at the Gamma station in three days. I will brief you for the mission personally."

"Please…" Dalia pleaded. "I know he will be a great asset! I beg you, spare his life."

"Begging is unbecoming of your rank, my little princess" the Ice-jin prince continued, his voice still almost casually coy. "I will not have it from you. If you will not follow my orders, I'll simply have to discipline you severely. It really is that simple." There was just enough veiled threat his tone to make it clear to anyone that this topic was not up for debate. He motioned for one of the guards posted at the entrance of the cell they were in.

"Take the creature to Ginyu. Tell him to use it in a training exercise or something… Whatever he has the most fun with."

"No!" Dalia looked absolutely desperate. She made a move to intercept the guards, but Freeza grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the other side of the room. She must have hit the wall hard because Ailill noticed a stream of silver blood ooze down her neck from her head.

"How dare you!" Freeza entire complexion changed in a fraction of a second. He looked beyond furious as he stalked towards her. For a moment Ailill wondered if Freeza would simply kill her on the spot. "If I decide the filthy beast dies, it dies and you will accept that and you will obey me!"

"Freeza!"

It was then that Ailill notice Koola. He must have been standing in the room, but had not spoken until now.

"What!" Freeza retorted in annoyance. He paused and glared at his older brother.

"Think about what you are about to do," Koola responded coolly. "Do you really want to waste our resources and make an example out of her with no one to benefit from your instruction?"

Freeza continued to glare at him for several moments then appeared to relax.

"Of course," the younger prince said finally. "Waste not, want not and all that. And she is a pretty little thing." The younger Ice-jin prince's tone sent chills down Ailill's back.

"I suppose I can give her the benefit of the doubt…" Freeza continued, glancing back to where Dalia had fallen. She still looked stunned, but somehow had managed to once again bow prostrate. "You have one week," he finished. "I expect to see you in Gamma station in seven days. If you have not sorted his sanity by then, he will die and you…" Freeza paused for a moment and smiled as if enjoying the thought of what he would do to her. "Well, just make sure you find his mind again."

With that he spun around and walked out of the cell motioning for the escort of guards to follow. Only Dalia, Coran, and Koola were left in the room.

"Thank you, my Lord," Dalia whispered, still bowing. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Don't disappoint Freeza again," Koola warned her. He looked at Coran curiously for a moment longer, then spun around and followed his younger brother out of the room.

Dalia was left alone. She picked herself up and stumbled to the corner where Coran was still convulsing as if in a seizure.

"It's OK," she whispered, cradling him in her arms. "You're safe with me, we can figure this out."

"Please…" Coran moaned. He touched her face, doing anything he could to connect with her. "Kill me... Make it stop…"

"Don't say things like that," Dalia answered, pushing some of his sweat damped hair away from his face. She took his hand into hers and kissed it gently. "We'll be alright…" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held him, rocking him back and forth as she would have a child.

"Why… did he…" Coran was having problems forming words. "Why…?"

Ailill felt something inside him break. When he had ruptured the mage bond with his brother, his people had been there for him. He had never been gripped by this kind of madness; he had never been alone in a hostile environment… His mind was flooded with a mixture of emotions he could not describe. Some were his own, others… they must have been Coran's, but he could no longer separate the two.

He felt something in his spirit shift. Ailill found himself no longer witnessing the vision, now he was experiencing the memory first hand. Somehow, he was the one now in Dalia's arms as the world appeared to fall apart around him. He was now the one finding a strange comfort being held by someone he thought he had loathed…but now…

As suddenly as it had started, the vision ended. Ailill screamed as he felt a sudden increase in the intensity of the power he was absorbing. He could no longer see Coran in his arms, or anything else around him. He was completely engulfed in a storm of light and energy as it quickly reached its climax. He thought the forces around him would rip him apart, but somehow, he was holding together. Just when he believed he could not hold on to consciousness any longer, the storm calmed and disappeared.

Ailill fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Everything felt suddenly still all around him as the gale of the brothers' powers passed. He was left alone holding only Tapion's sword in his hand and feeling completely dazed. Ailill looked around, but all traces of his brother where gone. The only thing he had left was a chain of memories and emotions he didn't quite understand. He felt so numb…

Above him the portal to the afterlife glowed, casting an eerie illumination on the frozen, barren landscape. He stretched out with his highly sensitive senses.

Both Ice-jin princes were gone.

"It's over…" Ailill whispered. For a fraction of a second, he felt anger, but that was quickly replaced with an overwhelming feeling of happiness. "It's finally over…"

He looked up at the portal and willed it to begin to close. Immediately the void began to get smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether from the dark sky. He stared at the spot the portal had been seconds earlier, surprised at how easy it had come under his control now. Why had it been so hard before? His mind felt muddled, completely overwhelmed by what just happened.

"Finally," Ailill murmured to himself. "There will be peace." He allowed himself to fall back, simply staring up at the clearing sky. His body began to tingle slightly as it assimilated Coran's power. His sensitive ears picked up voices somewhere close by, but Ailill chose to ignore them, taking the moment to revel in this victory. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

Welcome home… he thought, but he was not quite sure why.

~oOo~

Four months later…

Bulma took a deep breath, her hands wringing together in a nervous fidget. She was at Kami's Lookout along with the rest of the Z fighters, surrounding a set of seven dragonballs the size of soccer balls. They glowed softly as Dende, standing directly before them, began to speak the familiar Namekian words that they had all come to recognize as the incantation to summon the dragon Porunga.

After Ailill had managed to close the portal to the afterlife and effectively seal Freeza, Koola, and Kold back in hell, the entire alien ice planet they had occupied had suddenly gone eerily silent. Everyone had stood around in complete shock, nobody daring to even breathe for fear it would cause a whole new onslaught of enemies to come out of nowhere to attack. Krillin and Gohan had been out cold from their respective fights and Dende had hurried to heal them enough to bring them back to consciousness. His powers had been drained from all the other healing he had already done throughout the day and even the partial energy he had provided the two warriors had taken a lot out of the young Namekian guardian.

Bulma herself had stood in place, absolutely dumbstruck from the events she had witnessed. One minute she had been watching her husband gain the upper hand on Freeza before had gotten distracted with commotion going on elsewhere. When she had looked again shortly thereafter, she had found both of them gone. She had then watched as Koola took flight towards her son and flinched in alarm when Gohan had warned him to run at the last second. It had taken every last bit of willpower within her to avoid the motherly instinct that screamed at her to run to Trunks to protect him. It was an absurd notion for her to even imagine she could do anything to help her unbelievably powerful half-Saiyan son, but motherly instincts had a funny way of ignoring logic. The even larger instinct to protect her newborn daughter had eventually managed to take over and force her to stay in place.

It had been a relief to watch Goku finish off Koola, but the awful feeling growing in the pit of her stomach over the fact that she had yet to see Vegeta anywhere near the battles only grew bigger and bigger. When Goku had solemnly informed her that her husband had perished against Koola, the dull feeling of dread had turned into a knife stabbing through her heart. She couldn't stop the sob that had erupted from her throat at the thought that, yet again, Vegeta was no longer with them. Her heart ached at the thought of their daughter never meeting her father. She had gathered Trunks in a one-armed hug while holding her daughter with her other arm and sobbed uncontrollably.

Goku had been quick to reassure her that they could wish him back using the Namekian dragonballs. Vegeta had already died twice before, and while the dragonballs Dende had created for Earth could only bring someone back to life once, the Namekian dragonballs had no such restriction. The thought had briefly comforted her until she remembered that the Namekian dragonballs had just been used and they would have to wait another 130 Earth days, the equivalent of one Namekian year, to use them again. Additionally, it would require traveling to the planet of New Namek in order to gather them. She didn't want to have to wait to see her husband again. All she wanted to do was hold him in her arms, go home, and enjoy their new daughter together peacefully. She couldn't believe that Vegeta would now be missing the first few months of both his son and his daughter's lives.

Trunks, on the other hand, had visibly brightened at the news. For his sake, Bulma had put on a big smile and nodded in acceptance.

To the group's incredible surprise and relief, they had also encountered Paikuhan and Kaioshin, the two creatures who had been fused with Koola and Freeza respectively. The two men had been lying unconscious nearby, unseen by the rest of the Z fighters until the chaos had settled down. Upon awakening and hearing what had happened, Kaioshin had deduced that, upon entering hell, their bodies must have been instantly ripped away from the Ice-jin princes and thrown back to their reality, given that neither of them were evil beings and thus did not belong in hell. Kaioshin had thanked everyone for all their help and then teleported Paikuhan back to where he belonged.

They had found Ailill slumped over in pure exhaustion. He had explained that Coran was no longer a threat, much to everyone's relief. Dalia was nowhere to be found, but the group decided that, without the strength and influence of the Kold family, she wasn't much of a threat by herself. Ailill had been anxious to return to his home planet and so Bulma had suggested he take their spaceship as a thank you for all the help he provided. Goku had gathered the group and, making sure everyone was touching, had used his Instant Transmission technique to teleport them back to Kami's Lookout on Earth. It hadn't taken long before Yamcha, Tienshinhan, and Android 18, sensing the warriors' strong energy signature, had flown there to meet them all.

The four month waiting period to use the Namekian dragonballs had been difficult for Bulma to bear, but she had made sure to occupy her mind by taking care of her family. Yamcha, ever a loyal friend, came by every so often to chat and keep her company. Trunks spent a lot more time at home, even using his father's gravity simulator to train by himself when he wasn't at school. Without Goten around to entertain him, he seemed to have a lot more time on his hands, and, although she felt bad that her son didn't have his best friend around with him, she had to admit it was nice that he was keeping himself out of trouble. Gohan came by every now and again to spar or simply chat with the boy. Now that his father wasn't around, Trunks had taken the "man of the house" title quite literally and Bulma was glad to know she could count on her son to come through when it was necessary.

Now Bulma anxiously waited for the dragon to appear. She had left Bura with her parents, figuring Vegeta would want to meet her privately once he was back. She couldn't believe the day had finally come for them to make their wishes. Goku had volunteered to use his IT technique again to travel to New Namek and gather the dragonballs, arguing it would be much faster than taking a spaceship there and back again, but it had still taken him nearly two days to complete the task. Trunks stood next to her, arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face in a way that made him look eerily like his father. An image of the future version of the boy who had traveled back from another timeline to warn them about the impending doom of the androids flashed through Bulma's mind as she glanced at her son. It tugged at her heart to realize that soon this twelve year old boy would look just like that man.

A hand on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts. She turned her head to meet Yamcha's concerned face. "You okay?" he asked.

Bulma flashed him a smile and a brief nod. "Just anxious to get this over with. I miss Vegeta."

A rumble drew their attention towards the dragonballs, where Porunga was hovering over the sky above them and Dende was speaking in Namekian. Bulma had agreed to let Chichi get the first wish of turning Goten back to his proper age. The raven haired woman had at first seemed excited to have a baby in the house again, but the enthusiasm had died quickly when she remembered what it was actually like to have a baby in the house again. Chichi was over the experience and Bulma couldn't blame her for wanting her son back to normal as soon as possible. She had waited for Vegeta for four months—five more minutes wasn't going to kill her.

She watched as Porunga's eyes glowed red and baby Goten, who had been placed over a blanket on the ground, suddenly obtained a white glow about him. The baby slowly began to levitate over the ground. Within a few seconds, he had disappeared, leaving a confused looking eleven year old boy instead. Goten's hand went to the back of his head as he looked around the group of people gathered around him.

"Oh, thank goodness!" cried Chichi as she enveloped her son in a hug.

"Ack," Goten grunted. "Mom! That's so embarrassing!"

Everyone laughed over the display between Chichi and Goten. Goten struggled to pull himself away from his mother until she reluctantly conceded. Trunks ran over to his friend and high fived him happily.

"What is your second wish?" Porunga rumbled from above.

Dende turned his head and his eyes met Bulma's. Bulma nodded in silent confirmation and the guardian turned back to the dragon. Another few sentences in Namekian and the dragon rumbled an affirmative from the sky.

"It shall be done."

His eyes glowed again and this time, Bulma held her breath in anticipation. A spot on the ground near nearby Dende began to glow. Everyone's attention was focused on it as a muscled figure began to materialize. Bulma instantly recognized the gravity defying flame of wild black hair that was her husband's and fought the urge to run over to him to envelope him in a hug. Instead, she turned to Trunks, who had come back to stand beside her, and softly tapped his shoulder in encouragement. She watched with a smile as the boy ran over to greet his father. Vegeta looked slightly disoriented as he blinked in rapid succession. The lavender haired demi-Saiyan grabbed his father's forearm in greeting and Vegeta turned the corner of his mouth to acknowledge his son. His eyes then lifted to zero in on Bulma. She grinned in response, but still didn't move, knowing how much her husband hated public displays of affection. But the look in his eyes said it all. Without words, they communicated how much he appreciated her and promised more to come.

"Welcome back, Vegeta!" Goku called out. He walked up to the other Saiyan and slapped his shoulder once in greeting. Vegeta's eyes narrowed at the taller man in irritation and he crossed his arms defensively.

"Well, it was about damn time," he grunted. He looked around the Lookout at the other warriors who were staring at him. "What the hell are you all looking at?"

Before anyone could say anything, Porunga's voice rumbled again.

"You still have one wish left," the giant dragon spoke. "I don't have all day."

Dende turned to face the group. "We didn't really discuss making a third wish," he said uncertainly. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

There was silence.

"I could use a new car," Krillin cracked. His friends groaned and turned to glare at him. "What?" he said defensively. "I do, and nobody else has any suggestions!"

Suddenly, Yamcha ran over to Dende and whispered something in his ear. Dende's face took on a look of disbelief as he heard what Yamcha said. He turned to look at the human's scarred face incredulously. "Are you serious?" Dende asked.

Yamcha shrugged a shoulder and chuckled nervously. "Come on, why not? It's not like we actually need to defend against anything life threatening." He glanced at his friends. "Do we?" Everyone shook their heads no.

"Have you made a decision?" came Porunga's voice again.

Yamcha looked at Dende again. "Do you have a better idea?"

Dende sighed and turned back to face the dragon. Bulma's forehead furrowed with curiosity as she watched Dende reluctantly speak some words in his native Namekian.

Porunga's eyes glowed for the final time. "It shall be done," he stated.

A spot on the ground behind Dende shimmered one more time and a container began to materialize there. Yamcha was already walking back to stand beside her, a hint of amusement gleaming in his eyes.

"What did you wish for?" she asked.

Yamcha pointed and when Bulma turned to look again, the laughter bubbled involuntarily. Soon, Goku was joining in the laughter as he, too, realized what Yamcha had wished for. The Saiyan walked over to the object that had appeared and plucked something out of it. He offered it to Bulma, who walked over and took it from him.

"Well, Bulma," Goku said. "I guess you'll get your lifetime supply of strawberries after all!"

As the group laughed, Bulma savored her favorite fruit. She now had her husband back, her newborn daughter, and the very first wish she had ever set out to fulfill with the dragonballs. Life didn't get any better than this.

~oOo~

It was cold… Freezing…

Somewhere far away, Dalia could make out muffled shouting and frantic voices echoing through the ruins. The area of the castle she had been in had collapsed, trapping her beneath innumerous amounts of dirt, rubble and building material. Regardless, Dalia didn't want to move or make any effort to free herself. Movement was a solid remainder that she was alive and breathing.

She would have given anything not to be.

Dalia felt empty, hollow, dead… She was trapped in an intermediate state, somewhere between the living and the departed. Everything she was had been ripped out of her, and nothing was left to fill in the void. By the same means of the deep magic that had bound them in life, Dalia had felt Coran die. She shivered at the memory. Part of her had died with him. It had taken every ounce of determination in her being to keep from falling into insanity. She could still feel it, like a feral creature, crawling around in the back her mind just at the edge of her subconscious. All she wanted to do was sleep for eternity… The icy world encircled her, all too willing to use its cold embrace to grant her wish.

Still, something kept her from surrendering herself to oblivion. The only trace of warmth around her came from the small bundle Coran had handed her before he died. She had used her body to shield it as the palace had collapsed and now, it felt like a little heartbeat, insistent on living even though everything around it had all but given up.

She opened her eyes.

Ice crystals were already forming on her skin and hair. If she remained lethargic for much longer, the cold would finish the job it had already started. As much as she wanted it, Dalia couldn't allow it. There was one last thing she had to do before she could rest. The thought gave her enough drive to bring her mind out of the drained stupor it was in.

She ignited her ki.

Immediately, the ice on her skin melted away, and she could feel the warmth of her aura start to make its way into her body. Dalia could hear the voices getting closer and calling out to the survivors they knew were hidden within the remains of what had once been the palace. She knew her ki now served as a beacon for them to follow. She held her parcel close to her chest and embraced its heat. There was just one last thing she had to due to ensure she would be able to see her mission through to its end.

Taking a deep breath, Dalia gave a sweet farewell to all she once had been. Her body reacted to her wishes. Now all she had to do was wait…

~oOo~

"Frankly, I don't give a damn what it takes. Just get them out."

The flurry of activity intensified around him as his subjects continued to remove the rubble from what had once been a ballroom. Admiral Damiru glared at his underling, making whatever objection or comments the other might have had about the safety of the rescuers die unspoken. Crossing the 12-foot tall Ice-jin giant was something no one was foolish enough to do.

"Yes, Admiral," the humanoid acknowledged with a bow. "As you wish."

Not much was left standing from what had once been a grandiose palace, a testament to his specie's magnificence. Most of it had collapse or been destroyed in the battle, many of the underwater chambers had flooded… Their leaders were lost or missing. Chaos had taken over. Still, like their hardy home planet, the Admiral had no doubt they would survive this crisis. Like many times before, they would endure. They would rebuild.

In time, they would be avenged.

Several hours earlier, his scouter had picked up a significant spike in ki activity. From the readings, he knew that he recognized the other life form under wreckage, and was determined to reach it. The fact that one of their rulers had survived fueled his determination. He pushed his forces to their limit. Now, they were only a few meters away. Safety was the last thing on his mind. It was almost insulting that such menial concerns had even been brought up.

His scouter beeped at him again. The creature they were trying to save was growing restless. Admiral Damiru took a step backwards as the area his crew had been working on exploded. For several seconds, he was rendered speechless. There, standing amidst the cloud of dust and debris, was one of the Ice-jin princes...

Or was it?

Damiru could now see clear differences from both sons of Kold, but the similarities were also undeniable. He wasn't sure what to think. The creature was pale from head to toe, except for an obsidian carapace-like gems that decorated parts of his head, chest, arms and legs. He had a muscular build, far greater than either of the princes in their fourth form. Finally its porcelain face had two black lines that ran from beneath his eyes to his chin.

The creature opened its scarlet eyes and looked at the Ice-jin Admiral. No one dare speak as the two titans stared each other down.

"I am not here for you," it finally spoke.

Admiral Damiru eyed it cautiously. When he had started this rescue mission, pulling something like this out of the ice was something he would have never expected. However, the way the other creature carried itself was indicative of royalty. That much was undeniable. It almost was as if both Lord Freeza and Lord Koola were there, challenging his disbelief.

"Who are you?" the military man asked finally.

The other Ice-jin looked away for a moment before meeting his eyes once again. What he saw would have terrified a lesser man: pure unaltered wrath.

"I do not have a name," he told him. "I am simply a guardian."

For the first time since its appearance, Damiru notice that the creature was carrying something. The guardian pulled back some of the fabric to reveal a spherical, pale blue object about 10 inches in diameter. He suddenly realized what it was. The other creature smiled at his reaction, clearly enjoying it. It then looked down at the object and caressed it tenderly, changing his manner almost instantaneously.

"I am here as the keeper of your new King."


End file.
